Words, why the confusion?
(History and todays reality)
Words are funny things. They can make us happy; they can make us sad; they can be said in anger, and they can be said to hurt. Often times they can be misunderstood or mischaracterized. You see words i.e. language has developed over the millennia as tribes and people came together from different parts of the globe sometimes in peace and sometimes during war. Every word was created by someone. Some became common everyday words and some fall into the dustbin of history. The English language is a collection of English words along with words plucked out of other languages and cultures. It is so common that there is a science for it call “etymology”.
From Merriam Websters Dictionary: An etymology is the history of a linguistic form, such as a word; the same term is also used for the study of word histories. A dictionary etymology tells us what is known of an English word before it became the word entered in that dictionary. If the word was created in English, the etymology shows, to whatever extent is not already obvious from the shape of the word, what materials were used to form it. If the word was borrowed into English, the etymology traces the borrowing process backward from the point at which the word entered English to the earliest records of the ancestral language. Where it is relevant, an etymology notes words from other languages that are related ("akin") to the word in the dictionary entry, but that are not in the direct line of borrowing.
Yes, words are one of the main ways we communicate with each other and the world. This is why the use and control of words, and their meanings has been a tool of the unscrupulous since the first words were spoken, and the main reasons why “FREE SPEECH” is the bedrock of personal freedom in our Constitution.
Free speech is directly linked to freedom of thought. Whether you like what the other person is saying or not should not be the main point. If you listen to a person talk it is a gateway into their mind, their thought pattern, their beliefs. So, if we can step back from our own personal biases for a moment or two, insight into the other person sometimes can be found. There is also a correlation between a person’s true self, their words and their actions. When you review a person’s words vs. their actions you are then given an even greater insight into that person’s character.
From Fact/Myth.com
We live in a time where information i.e. “words” both spoken and written can be accesses from almost anywhere. A time where we are told our “feelings” count as facts and “intentions” are better than “results”. Where the irrational should be given the same weight as rational thought. America has long been the melting pot for many, many cultures. This inherently causes some tensions and confusion, but the basic concept of America i.e. the right for everyone to free untimely brings people together.
From the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
So why would people want chaos and discord in people communicating? Sadly, not for good intentions. People who continually push to change meanings of words and definitions of things are actively pushing for discord, rancor, division among people. As our founding fathers understood and noted that together common everyday folks really have the power to control their lives, divided “others” step in to dictate our lives. And it seems in the age of information the ability of a few powerful people to control the narrative i.e. the stories we are told and how they are told has become one sided.
You see the media and politicians can share facts that may be real but provide for a false narrative none the less. I have a personal example.
When I was about 13 my dad picked me up from an event and the news was playing on the radio. I don’t remember what the story was about, but my dad shook his head as he listened. Something struck him and he pulled his truck over into a parking space and said this:
“Son, you need to understand that you have to listen to the news and people with an open mind but also skepticism. Let me give you an example.”
(Now mind you this was around 1972, and the Soviet Union was in full force and our #1 Adversary.)
Here is the story: So, there was a big race scheduled between the US and the Soviets. It was to be a 100-yard dash run just between the two countries runners. So, on the day of the event the crowds were active and loud, and the two runners took their positions. The gun sounded and they were off. The race was neck and neck until the end where the U.S. runner pulled ahead and won the race. It was now in the record books. The news across the world reported on the event.
U.S. Newspapers Headline - “BIG RACE TODAY WON BY AMERICAN RUNNER, SOVIET RUNNER FALLS INTO LAST PLACE”
Soviet Newspapers Headline - “BIG RACE TODAY SOVIET RUNNER TAKES SECOND, U.S. RUNNER END UP SECOND FROM THE LAST”
Both headlines are technically accurate but by use of misleading words attempts to make other side look worse than reality. This sadly is the media landscape we live in today where facts are ignored and feelings are reported, where actual statements are twisted or down right changed to promote an agenda.
The news media has always had some bias and owners who want to push a story, but today we have reached new levels of bias. Not that many years ago the three major networks did not expect their news shows to actually make money. Sure, they had commercials, but their goal was being able to report the news unbiasedly. For whatever reason (I am guessing greed) 30 years ago, this changed and now the news has to be profitable and insure they don’t offend a potential commercial client. This chilling effect is in full force now. It is time for the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission to do their jobs and break up these media monopolies that are distorting the news for their owner profits! Let your Congress person know they need to take action on these issues asap as our Republic is hanging in the balance.