"Whether or Not?" I Say Not to "Not," But Yes to "Whether." Just Read the Damn Post

I have a few usage hang-ups that send me up a tree. I read them, and my central nervous system orders my brain to flood my system with whatever chemical makes you really ... y'know, nutso angry.

One of those is the phrase "whether or not," which is used in common English 3.2 billion times a day. Consider it: Where's the contrast? Is there one option -- "whether" -- competing with another -- "not"? Nope. Taken literally, it's a meaningless phrase. In every single instance, just using the word "whether" is more accurate, more concise, more ... better.

STUPID: I can't tell whether or not Courtney or Derek will ever post to TOSC again.
NOT STUPID: I can't tell whether Courtney or Derek will ever post to TOSC again.
POSSIBLY EVEN LESS STUPID: I can't tell if Courtney or Derek will ever post to TOSC again.

See what I mean? The Not Stupid and Possibly Even Less Stupid sentences are just as clear (I'd argue clearer) and don't employ some meaningless phrase cribbed from vernacular speech.

At some point while writing this post, I've become very upset over "whether or not," it's such a stupid goddamn phrase. So, please, people, stop using it. Next time I see it, I'm punching James in the head.