We Can't Make Decisions About Language Based Solely On What The Worst And Most Ignorant People Might Do

On an annoying contemporary strain of neurotic language-policing

Last week everyone flipped out that soon-to-be Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett referred to “sexual preference” in response to one of her confirmation-hearing questions, rather than “sexual orientation” or one of the other, more acceptable and up-to-date synonyms for this concept. After being accused by various media outlets of having used an “an…