There are some words that instill emotions. Words like murdered, suicide, or killed. We are replacing those words with the word unalive, or unalived . Those words are not recognized by my spell check, and seem like something a four year old would say. They instill no emotion, and I’m certain that’s why they are being encouraged. Today we must make sure above all things that we are never guilty of triggering someone with words that have actual meaning.

But words do have meaning. The more precise the word, the less chance for misunderstanding, and I don’t want to be misunderstood.

Let me tell a story….

I am sorry, but I stepped on your hamster and killed it. I didn’t murder your hamster, but it is dead.

Now let me say it in the new acceptable way that will surely not trigger anyone….

I am sorry but I stepped on your hamster and unalived it. I didn’t unalive your hamster but it is unalive.

That is total gibberish, but apparently your hamster is unalive and it’s my fault.

Here is where we run into a problem. I’m a little triggered because I wonder if maybe that hamster wasn’t unaliving itself and I’m the victim here.