Following another week of primary coverage, editorials passing for news, and no visible efforts to save this great land from the destruction of its vision, I just can't take it anymore. Also, there is probably nothing I can do about it. But in this time of talking heads, may as well fight fire with fire. I now start talking about politics until November.
Here is a short list of words and terms that must go out of use immediately:
1) Liberal / The Left
2) Conservative / The Right
3) Liberal / Conservative Agenda
4) Values Voter
5) Pro-Life
All of these terms have a shared quality that puts them on this "don't use" list. That quality is this: they are meaningless.
Liberal and Conservative (and their counterpart words, left and right) are given equal time on the news and are aligned with the two parties we reliably have on the ticket. These two words are supposed to represent things that are opposite. Or, at least, we all feel that they should be opposite. Or something. Are they really supposed to be opposite? Each word encompasses social issues, fiscal issues, foreign affairs, domestic affairs, military, and everything else in the entire world. Not just those things that could or should be within the bounds of the government, either, but truly EVERYTHING. I talked to a guy in the bar a few weeks back and he linked his conservative beliefs with a love of sports. Using vague terms like this just does us and our Nation a disservice. Vague terms lead to arguments – precise terms foster constructive debate.
Since we can't use liberal or conservative anymore, we can't use "liberal agenda" or "conservative agenda" anymore either. That goes without saying, right?
It's different for the term "Values Voter." This term is used by a subset of Republican voters that put social issues at the top of their voting agenda. That said, my values guide the way I vote. That's true for everyone else too. Either your values inform your voting or you just randomly pull levers. Everyone is a values voter. Don't use a term just because you think it makes you sound special.
Also, everyone is Pro-Life. The opposite of that is Pro-Death. Nobody (er, hardly anybody) is Pro-Death. All reproductive issues are hard. Using divisive terms only hurt the people that need help (all too often, very young, very scared).
Sitting here, I don't feel clever. I don't feel the catharsis I often feel from writing. I feel frustrated. I feel an irrational wave of words all around me and I fear that they are confusing good people to act on emotion and not on information. I'm going to get a cup of tea.
4 years ago
