Violence and Slang Terms

by Libby Pelham | More from this Blogger

17 Apr 2007 06:25 AM

It seems hard to blog about something as insignificant as celebrity gossip in the wake of what happened yesterday at Virginia Tech. Thirty-three innocent people are dead just for doing what most think of as the American dream - receiving a higher education in hopes of improving themselves. Whether we like it or not, violence seems to be a part of our American culture.

Have you ever used the term "going postal" to describe a coworker, friend, or even yourself? Normally people use it to describe someone who is filled with rage and anger - someone who seems just at the point of going over the edge. Do you remember exactly where that slang term came from? We say it now in jest, but the term "going postal" came from very tragic circumstances. Beginning in the mid-80s, there were several instances in which United States Postal Service employees shot and killed bosses and coworkers. The earliest reference to the term "going postal" appeared in the St. Petersburg Times in December 17, 1993:

"The symposium was sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service, which has seen so many outbursts that in some circles excessive stress is known as "going postal." Thirty-five people have been killed in 11 post office shootings since 1983."

From 1983 through 1997, over 40 people were killed in incidents of workplace rage.

But the workplace isn't the only deadly place. Do you remember Columbine? Have you ever seen a teen in a long black coat and thought "Oh, trench coat mafia?" That was the name a group of students at Columbine High School took to describe themselves. That group included Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the two students who massacred 12 students and a teacher in April 1999 before killing themselves. Until yesterday, it was the deadliest shooting in U.S. history.

So like it or not, certain terms become part of our culture, even those that refer to tragic events. Maybe we bring them into our everyday life as a way to try to assimilate what has happened. Will we someday tell someone to not "go all Virginia Tech" on us? I don't know, but please keep the victims, their families and friends, the injured students, and all those at Virginia Tech in your thoughts.

Related Blogs:

Columbine Killers' Writings Released

School Safety: How Safe is Your Child's School?

Will Our Schools Ever be Safe?

Learn more about Libby Pelham

Libby Pelham is a work-at-home mom located in Jacksonville, NC. She has a beautiful little boy, Will, born in July of 2004.

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