Wokest Law in America: Don’t Mispronounce Arkansas or Else…
I’m not a judge. I’m a lawyer. But if I were a judge and had to go around the country passing judgment on the laws of this great nation, I’d do so gladly and with glee. The law that I would start with is Title 1 Chapter 4 Section 104 of the Arkansas Code.
This law regulates how to say the name Arkansas. It’s a great law. It basically says that a person must pronounce the name of the state in a specific way. You can’t pronounce it ArKansas or Arkansasss. It’s Arkansaw.
I love that Arkansas made a rule about how you must pronounce the state name. The pronunciation is not up for discussion, it’s not based on whether you’re from New England or the Midwest, or your mood that day, it’s regulated by law. I appreciate that very much. As a person whose name can be pronounced a myriad of ways, it’s nice to have some uniformity. I hate that when I introduce myself to someone they almost immediately forget the way I pronounced my name and say it however they want. As though my pronunciation were merely a suggestion or a starting off point. A recommendation on the name menu but they’re free to order up whatever version of my name they wish.
