The 2016 election requires new language - Microblog Monday

I have been working as a freelance writer for some time now.

The last few months have been lean. I supplement by tutoring and I have grown to love it.

The other day I had an argument with one of my students. I'd call him my favorite student and it would be true but they're all my favorite. Anyway...

We were doing synonyms. And the word was Travesty.

There were four possible answers. One was mockery (correct) the other was disaster (not correct).  I told him he was wrong and he argued. He said that in several article he's read about Trump becoming president, the word "travesty" was used. He found several articles online and showed them to me. In those articles, one from CNN, another from the LA Times, the tone and meaning of the word travesty seemed to be disaster. He was defending his point and he was angry.

 Can I say how much I enjoy the fact that he is so mad about use of language that he is ARGUING? A 13 year old boy is just that pissed!!

I acknowledged that he had a point. The very next word was the word rescind. He said that means destroy. I said it means subvert. He rolls his eyes, "are we going to go through this again?"

Has the 2016 election scarred us so much that we need to repair the English language? Is it that bad? Well obviously it is. I'm sick to death about the state of things in this country and we're not even halfway through.

But I will say that I've got some hope.
When a trans woman wins over a homophobic bigot who wrote a bathroom bill and then refuses to insult the opponent because he is her constituent?  I've got hope.

When people in Virginia have set records for a non-presidential election for turnout I  have hope.

I do have hope, and fear, and anger.

But really, can we agree that we don't need to mess up the language?