Trisomy 21

In an earlier post, I mentioned the problem of attempting to communicate using terminology that, while ostensibly clear, is so potentially offensive or inflammatory that it interferes with communication. This problem is difficult to even discuss, because of the need to reference terminology that is potentially offensive or inflammatory. Still, I view it as an important problem. I apologize in advance to those I may be about to offend, and I suggest you might want to just skip this posting.

This problem is perhaps most often encountered when dealing with matters of race, ethnicity, or anything else concerning broad groups of people. For me, the very best example comes from dealing with the subject of the human genetic abnormality most commonly caused by being born with three rather than two twenty-first chromosomes, technically referred to as “Trisomy 21”. (I have NO expertise on this condition. I am simply using it as an example of a subject that can raise difficulties with communication.)

When I was a child, I learned that people with a certain genetic abnormality were referred to as “mongoloid”. I was taught that people with this genetic abnormality faced varying degrees of mental and physical challenges, but were normal people who lived normal lives.*

Years later, I was told that the term “mongoloid” was offensive and demeaning, and should never be used, and should be basically replaced with the term “Down’s Syndrome”. When I asked WHAT was so offensive and demeaning about the term “mongoloid”, I was told that, among other things, the full term was “mongolian idiot” or “mongolian idiocy”. (Curiously, though I have heard the term “mongoloid” dozens or even hundreds of times used by a wide variety of people, the ONLY people I have ever heard use the term “mongolian idiot” are those advocating the use of the term “Down’s Syndrome” ... that is, the ONLY people who I have heard USE the term are the ones who say it is deeply offensive.)

For several years, this created a difficult situation. If I used the term “Down’s Syndrome”, most of the people I encountered had no idea what I was talking about, and I would have to say something to the effect of, “You know, mongoloid.” I struggled with this issue, as my choices seemed to be limited to either being misunderstood, or using an offensive, demeaning term. One of my coping strategies during this period was to use the scientific term for the genetic disorder, “Trisomy 21”, but that term was understood by even fewer people than the term “Down’s Syndrome”.

Over the years, this particular problem seemed to resolve itself as the term “Down’s Syndrome” became widely used and understood, though as I was writing this I did some online research and apparently there has been a movement to replace “Down’s Syndrome” with “Down Syndrome”.

I still struggle with the underlying philosophical problem of how to communicate clearly when some of the best-understood terms are considered offensive or inflammatory. I continue to believe that clear communication should be the priority -- but offensive terms, even if easily understood, can sometimes stand in the way of clear communication. There is more to clear communication than being correct, and sometimes there is even more than being clear.

Truth is complicated.

* As I was typing, I automatically placed the word "normal" in quotation marks, to acknowledge that the entire concept of "normal" is always a bit dubious and open to interpretation. Later, I realized my quotation marks might be viewed as expressing reservations about the "normalcy" of those with Down Syndrome, so I have removed them.