Diction as Politics
The re-defining of terms skews the debate
Bennett Rawicki
Issue date: 11/20/07 Section: Commentary
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The 21st century offers us the iPhone, 24-hour Super Wal-Marts and a completely warped view of the world. Standards have been upended, and our word choice proves it. Peacefully arguing for your beliefs has been redefined as "fear tactics." Any insult is "hate speech." Supporting the law is demeaning and derogatory. And this only applies selectively, of course. Modern society has thrown out reasonable, universal standards to protect many of those who least deserve it.
At many of the large Catholic universities in this country pro-abortion groups have been holding the blatantly anti-Catholic play "The Vagina Monologues." Various individuals and conservative groups have lobbied to remove the pornographic play from Catholic universities. They have peacefully voiced their disapproval with letters and petitions, raising concerns that holding such an event would betray their schools' Catholic identities. These efforts have been deemed "fear tactics" by abortion advocates.
When Saddam Hussein abuses the family of a national team athlete who plays poorly it is no longer called fear tactics.
Nor is Iran's enforcement policy of its no-dating rule: beating a teen boy in public for being near a girl. There was no mention of fear tactics when protesters at a speech at Michigan State screamed in the faces of the conservative students putting on the event and had to be restrained by police. This pro-border enforcement speech was overrun by protesters who yelled and banged on the walls, inside the event, during the prayer and pledge of allegiance. They then rushed the stage and the event had to be canceled with the protesters in handcuffs. Fear tactics? No, asking friends to have pizza in a patriotically decorated room is much more coercive.
Hate speech usually accompanies fear tactics, in a sentence on a blog or in an article describing conservative events. Insulting Ms. Sheehan as "scum" is unnecessary and unhelpful, but is it hate? Sheehan wrote in her book Peace Mom, "I fantasize about killing Bush when he was a baby." Society considers Sheehan's words an expression of her free speech rights, while any insult of a minority viewpoint is called "hate speech."
Sensitivity has become skewed, and emotional rhetoric has become a societal norm. Denying the poor of the world the opportunity to come to America whenever they like feels unfair. But not all who come under the radar are the innocent poor. Illegal aliens in America kill 12 people per day. Those pushing for immigration enforcement are not racist, and their arguments are not demeaning. The families of the victims do not care about the race of the killer, just that the untraceable perpetrator will elude justice.
In defending the future of our society, we must reexamine our diction. The deliberate use or omission of the terms "fear tactics," "hate speech" and "racist" frame the debates in a certain light. None of these, as they actually occur, can be cured until they are again properly defined.
At many of the large Catholic universities in this country pro-abortion groups have been holding the blatantly anti-Catholic play "The Vagina Monologues." Various individuals and conservative groups have lobbied to remove the pornographic play from Catholic universities. They have peacefully voiced their disapproval with letters and petitions, raising concerns that holding such an event would betray their schools' Catholic identities. These efforts have been deemed "fear tactics" by abortion advocates.
When Saddam Hussein abuses the family of a national team athlete who plays poorly it is no longer called fear tactics.
Nor is Iran's enforcement policy of its no-dating rule: beating a teen boy in public for being near a girl. There was no mention of fear tactics when protesters at a speech at Michigan State screamed in the faces of the conservative students putting on the event and had to be restrained by police. This pro-border enforcement speech was overrun by protesters who yelled and banged on the walls, inside the event, during the prayer and pledge of allegiance. They then rushed the stage and the event had to be canceled with the protesters in handcuffs. Fear tactics? No, asking friends to have pizza in a patriotically decorated room is much more coercive.
Hate speech usually accompanies fear tactics, in a sentence on a blog or in an article describing conservative events. Insulting Ms. Sheehan as "scum" is unnecessary and unhelpful, but is it hate? Sheehan wrote in her book Peace Mom, "I fantasize about killing Bush when he was a baby." Society considers Sheehan's words an expression of her free speech rights, while any insult of a minority viewpoint is called "hate speech."
Sensitivity has become skewed, and emotional rhetoric has become a societal norm. Denying the poor of the world the opportunity to come to America whenever they like feels unfair. But not all who come under the radar are the innocent poor. Illegal aliens in America kill 12 people per day. Those pushing for immigration enforcement are not racist, and their arguments are not demeaning. The families of the victims do not care about the race of the killer, just that the untraceable perpetrator will elude justice.
In defending the future of our society, we must reexamine our diction. The deliberate use or omission of the terms "fear tactics," "hate speech" and "racist" frame the debates in a certain light. None of these, as they actually occur, can be cured until they are again properly defined.
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