Words
March 26th, 2010 | EdWords | 7 Comments
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I’ve been having a lively conversation with one of the readers of this site about, among other things, the meaning of words. As many others have in the past, he has predicted that if I don’t like what he has to say, I will “censor” his postings, as have the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post previously. This is one of those statements, repeated many times over the years by other readers, that rankles me. Censorship applies only to governments or their agencies. A private enterprise such as a newspaper or, me, for that matter, cannot by definition censor. I set the rules for my website, and for what can be posted. I prefer a civil discussion, and when a reader veers into the all-too-common practice of name-calling in lieu of actual argument (or worse, an obscenity-laden tirade), I make a judgement about the worth of the comment, and occasionally kill a reader’s posting. I generally do this only after warning the commenter first. This is not censorship. If someone persists in breaking my rules, I have every right and reason to boot him (or her) off my site.
Why is this seemingly trivial argument important? Because words have power. Words lead to action, and actions have consequences.. We have seen in the last year that the misuse of language–the deliberate and repeated misstatements of the content of the health care overhaul, including the infamous “death panel” lie, and the overheated rhetoric of the last couple of weeks, have led to threats and acts of violence against members of Congress.
During the debate last week, members of the minority party frequently launched into such hyperbolic rhetoric it was hard to believe the words were coming from our elected leaders. Rep. Devin Nunes may have topped them all when he said that Democrats “finally lay the cornerstone of their socialist utopia on the backs of the American people.” This sentiment was echoed, perhaps not as vividly, by others during the debate, often to the applause and cheers of Republicans on the House floor. It was an ugly, appalling spectacle. Death threats against Congressmen who voted for the legislation followed, along with bricks thrown through Congressional office windows.
Now, of course, Republicans whose words inflamed citizens opposed to the bill are distancing themselves from the consequences of their irresponsible rhetoric. There’s a whole lot of “Who me? Why, I never dreamed. . .” going on, and, of course, the traditional, cynical ”Democrats are trying to exploit…”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, not one I normally accuse of eloquence, had a perfect pitch response. While saying that she doesn’t “subscribe to the fact that these acts of vandalism sprang from any words of my colleagues,” she added, “I believe words have power. they weigh a ton. And they are received differently by people depending on their, shall we say, emotional state, and we have to take responsibility for words that are said that we do not reject.” She concluded, “We have to. . .understand our leadership role, the responsibility we have to be an example in how we express our differences and understand the impact our words have on others.”
I couldn’t have said it better.
Topics: Democrats, health care debate, House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, opinion, Republicans, threats, violence, words
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Well put Ed. I think it odd that those who would accuse Hollywood of poisoning our kids with sex and violence can somehow deny that this outrageous rhetoric has any effect on the more extreme in their party.
I agree with lalas as well.
And as a footnote to your article, Ed, I am very happy living in a country where socialist values are prevalent.
Things aren’t perfect, and economic and other types of reform are just as much a topic in Germany and in various European countries as in the US, but health care is available for everyone, public transportation works, people don’t carry weapons around and I could go on.
What depresses me is the overall ignorance of Americans in regard to the history of well, capitalism, socialism, communism and fascism, for starters. A little basic information might do wonders… But I suppose that if creationism is still seriously under consideration, it will be a long time before anything else gets sorted out.
Yes, we do have the freedom of speech in America, and yes, “I have the right to say anything,” but that doesn’t mean there are no consequences to those words I said or wrote.
I lived in Oklahoma when the Federal Building was bombed. I heard and felt… someones words that gave this unstable person (Tim McVeigh) the justification to blow this building up. I saw his face when he walked out of the court house and the crowd jeered at his existence. He was shocked that he wasn’t a hero. The person that gave him in his mind the justification wasn’t in the truck, wasn’t in the planning of this horrible deed, had nothing “physical” to do with the evil of this act. Words are powerful and some stupid person might not see your words as just your fundamental right to express your thoughts. I saw these words in the scares left on those faces many months later – how powerful words can move – yes, a dumb, stupid person to do something beyond our understanding. Some will say we are not responsible for the Tim McVeigh of the world. I say, if you use your right to say anything, you also have to know someone like Tim McVeigh is listening. If you don’t understand this – then your words fall in the stupid category.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi was correct when she said members of Congress have a responsibility to set the standard when it comes to keeping their emotions in check, guarding the words they use in debate, and operating under the rules of fair play when contesting a piece of legislation. Now that you have my textbook definition of “setting the standard”, let’s look at the mentality of our elected officials.
Words like, “You lie”, “Baby Killer”, and the “f-word” float around on Capitol Hill with ever increasing frequency. To make matters worse, these words are being uttered by our very own members of Congress while they’re in session. The term “decorum” has gone by the wayside along with “cap and trade”. Knowing our legislators display this sort of behavior during working hours, can you imagine what goes on in the midst of a happy hour.
Now, let’s take a quick look at the House Minority Leader, Rep. John Boehner, R-OH. I believe he’s the perfect example of one totally incapable of keeping their emotions in check. Shortly after the Health Reform Bill was passed by the House, Boehner gave his reaction and what a reaction it was – I thought his head was going to explode. I think that brown/orange substance that he puts on his face somehow keeps his bone structure in place. However, this much I know, John Boehner is no role model for anyone.
As far as playing by the rules is concerned, there’s no need for comment here. The Republicans have tried to block every good thing President Obama has tried to accomplish since day one. They have used every conceivable technicality, every parlimentary rule, every dirty trick, and outright lies to derail our current Administration. I, personally, have lost any respect I may have had for the GOP and I hope all Americans soon come to know the party for what it really is – a bunch of rich, old SOBs who want the wealth and control of this country in the hands of a few.
I completely agree with you, Ed, that you have every right to remove comments or even users from your website. Also, could not agree more with the power of words, both spoken and written. Anyone who is familiar with your clever work would know where the monologue was leading, and I admit I derived much amusement from how the intial statements somehow managed to turn into a GOP blame and bash session again, not that I mind GOP bashing. However, the history of violent incidents and dirty politics runs just as deep with the democrats and left-wingers as it does with their opposition. I think your political loyalties make you see the poltical realm as angels and demons, not as humans and humans. Blame the GOP, disagree with the GOP, hate the GOP, fine, whatever. Not seeing or acknowledging the corruption and patheticness that also lies with the Donkey is simply ignorance.
Right on, Ed, educated passionate reasonable words can be powerful and eloquent, and they can be divisive and vicious. ie Martin Luther King used words with skill, eloquence, beauty, conviction, determination. Glen Beckistan and Rushin Limbo use words for hate, violence, division, domination, fear. Karl Rove uses fear to phobia as a rapier at his side to slice and dice for control. You cannot hold them to account, but you can hold us to a higher standard, so, good on ya, do it. We can state our views of the data and our opinions to it and disagree, or not, and end it there. And yes it is your purview to keep and to maintain civility and moderation in our words. We can leave the hard edges to the Howard Sterns and Rushin Limbos. It does not belong in our reactions and comments to your editorial cartoons and commentaries. Later.
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