[redwitch]

Even if I weren't personally affected by the term, I think I would still find it offensive. Drinking the Kool-Aid is a specific reference to a very tragic event where 912 people died, 906 by drinking the Kool-Aid. Purchasing a home in TV is a happy event, although not always well thought out but rarely regretted. So, a term for a truly ugly tragedy being transformed into a happy event is just wrong to me.

Several of you have made the claim that being asked to not use the term is a form of political correctness and you should be able to say what you feel and when you feel it. Sorry, I see it as an act of common decency.

Some of you imply that the it is a form of censorship to not be able to use the term; that it is impossible to avoid saying things that are hurtful to others (do remember that once upon a time the N word was considered perfectly acceptable no matter how denigrating it was to others). I have a friend who is so terrified of spiders that just the word is frightening to her. Should I ignore her fear and blithely say spider in front of her just because I like the creatures?

Yes, suicide is ugly and tragic as well. Personally, I've never heard of the word used in a happy sense. Death is tragic in a very personal sense and something we are all subjected to in many forms. There are many bad jokes about death, dying and even suicide, but, again, I've never heard of these words used to describe something that causes joy to others. Yet, the Kool-Aid term is used to describe a joyous, life-changing event and that seems to be perfectly acceptable to some.

As I said, even if I weren't personally affected, I'd find the term offensive on some level. It just doesn't seem right to use it to explain why someone would purchase a home (and, yes, I'm well aware that many sales reps are advised to use exactly that term when selling TV to prospective purchasers). So, if you really believe it infringes on your personal freedoms, if you really can't see that the phrase is wrong and hurtful, use it, but don't be surprised when others tell you it is wrong and offensive.