OK, I have a new respect for Ilhan Omar. She's kinda badass actually...

[H2O Man]

47. Interesting conversation.

Now, I self-identify as the oldest living human being, as well as Ilhan Omar's first and biggest supporter, especially in the context of the DU community. I try to not be rigid, but sometimes when it comes to words, I question: Is nothing sacred? My four children started using words in a manner that their generation understands, but that annoyed me. It is distinct in every meaningful way than when my generation became the first to engage in the youth culture. Different hair, different clothing, different music that experts my age recognize as the best ever, different drugs, and different values. Oh! And different language.

Of course, my now adult children still use words in ways foreign to me. That includes words like "gangsta" and "thug" to describe me to their friends. To my generation, those words might sound violent. But, it's no use -- what am I going to do? Threaten my very large son, the state Golden Gloves light heavyweight, cruiserweight, and heavyweight champion? Not happening, no matter how "violent" the description is. My daughters have explained that "gangsta" is their way of saying I boldly challenged authority when I was young, and "thug" is how some people still view me.

More important than anything I have said here is that we do want more people to vote for our candidates. I'm not sure if anyone will have greater success than I did in insisting they speak in the exact manner that I find most pleasing. I'm trying to become comfortable with the concept that things have changed over the last fifty-odd years -- this, despite my wishing the Beatles either didn't break up, or would reunite. I'm good with change, just so long as it does not involve anything in my life.

Since I see the DU community as representative of a tiny yet important part of the Democratic Party, I think it's worth noting that relatively few have made an issue over those two words.