"Put down" or "put to sleep"? and Scantrons (Was; wifebeaters)

[sistermagpie]

> Carol responds:
> 
> My impression was that this particular young woman, who also 
believed
> that prostitution was a perfectly acceptable way to earn a living 
and
> refused to hear my "1970s" view that it was degrading and limited 
the
> prostitute's future career prospects, considered "put to sleep" to 
be
> a euphemism that concealed what she viewed as the harsh reality of
> "putting down" an animal. 

Magpie:
Not that she would listen to me either, but I almost wonder why she 
just doesn't say "euthanize" or "kill" if she doesn't want to sugar 
coat. "Put down" doesn't really say anything--one might think you 
were going to insult the animal.

Still, it seems like this is less about language than her own special 
take on issues. Prostitution has no harsh reality, but ending a sick 
animal's life needs hard language.

Speaking personally, I had to put down/put to sleep a wonderful dog 
last year, and "put to sleep" best describes it to me. It wasn't a 
harsh experience. Sad, yes, but she was in pain when she went in and 
peaceful afterwards. Given the choice of having to do that again or 
be a prostitute, I know what I'd choose. (Even if I can't really find 
any good reason it shouldn't be legal, since it's legal to have sex 
for free, I still don't buy the "prostitution's awesome!" claims.)

-m