Make the V-Word as Unacceptable as the N-Word

We Need to Make the V-Word as Unacceptable as the N-Word � Secondhand Smoke | A First Things Blog: Had Dr. Laura used the V-word to describe profoundly disabled people, it would not have made the news. That dichotomy needs to change. The V-word–properly employed to describe carrots and string beans–dehumanizes, marginalizes, diminishes, and objectifies moral equals when used to characterize human beings. And often, just as with the N-word, it is intended to open the door to oppression and exploitation of those against whom it is wielded.