Words Matter #262
By Hank Silverberg
One of the first lectures I give to my students in my Public Speaking classes involves the use of words.
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As the temporary "truce" got underway this week, we heard a lot about the people being released by each side. They are not the same, but you would not know it by the words.
Those held by Hamas were "hostages," while those being released by Israel were "prisoners". Those are the correct words. But there are those on the Palestinian side who claim that there was no difference between them. That the captives were alike, being held against their will by the "other side".
So what is the difference? The Israelis and the foreign workers who were taken with them were removed at gunpoint from their homes after watching their friends and relatives murdered, and were then held captive in tunnels under a city controlled by a brutal armed force which has vowed to murder all Jews. They had little to eat, and in most cases did not see the sunlight for over a month.
The Palestinians freed from prison on the West Bank had been held in a facility where they got three meals a day, exercise in a courtyard, and eventually some kind of legal proceeding determining their future.
It can be argued that some of the Palestinians were imprisoned for a long period of time without what we in the United States would call "due process" in the legal system, but they were not threatened with death every day.
There were also no children in those jails. The youngest prisoner was 14. The youngest hostages held by Hamas were infants.
The word "hostage" and "prisoner" do not mean the same thing, and they are not equal.
More words: Hamas is claiming the events of October 7th were a great "victory" for their cause. Victory usually means beating an opposing army or military force, not the massacre of unarmed civilians. "Massacre," the indiscriminate intentional killing of unarmed civilians, is the factual word for what happened on October 7th. There is not other word that fits.
Two other words you have heard used a great deal the last few weeks are perhaps the most misused of all. "Apartheid" is a word that comes from the Afrikaans language of South Africa, and specifically applies only to that now-eliminated policy of the former White regime there. According to Merriam-Webster:
"It included such restrictions as where people of certain races could live or own land, what jobs they could hold, and who could and couldn't participate in government."
As of the 2019 census in Israel, 1.8 million Arabs live inside Israel where they have full rights. That's about 20% of the population. There are 13 Arab representatives in the 120-member Israeli Knesset, and more than a thousand Arabs serve in the Israeli Defense Force.
There is no "apartheid" in Israel.
And then there is the word "genocide." The definition according to Merriam-Webster:
"the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group."
Yes, the deaths of thousands of Palestinians during Israel's counter-attack in Gaza is tragic, but it does not fit the definition of genocide, nor does any action Israel has ever taken against anyone.
The word has been cheapened and become almost meaningless by its application in this conflict and in others over the last few years. What we are seeing is NOT deliberate organized mass murder.
Please, as you hear and see what is coming out of the Middle East, especially from the government- controlled media in the region, be warry of their use of words. Words matter.
I also note we have seen the misuse of words involving our domestic policies as well.
Words like "socialist," "fascist" and "communist" are thrown around as if they are interchangeable. Politicians and the public alike seem to have no clue about what any of those political systems entail. Be warry of their use. Words matter.
Words can give false impressions, distract from reality , inspire insurrection and start wars. And once the war is on, words can make it a lot worse.
The War Over Fact vs Fiction
Deep in the heart of the Texas State School Board is rejection of climate change. The Republican- controlled Board has rejected seven of the 12 proposed science textbooks for eighth graders, which for the first time are required to include information on climate change.
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| (The freedom to read!) |
The local school districts are not required to choose solely from the State Board-determined list, but most school districts do so, to make sure they are in compliance with the state's curriculum standards.
The mandate that some information on climate change be in the curriculum was approved before many of the current Board members were elected.
Since then, many Republican-dominated school boards across the country have begun taking aim at how schools are teaching history, race , gender and science. And they have voted against books they say are written by companies with environmentally friendly corporate policies.
Just one example: Texas Board member Evelyn Brooks from Fresno told the Texas Tribune, “The origins of the universe is my issue — Big Bang, climate change — again, what evidence is being used to support the theories, and if this is a theory that is going to be taught as a fact, that’s my issue. What about Creation"?
This trend has been creeping up in local school boards all across the country. Though most school boards in many states are supposed to be non-partisan, Conservatives have pushed hard to get their people elected at the local level.
It has struck a negative chord with many parents who are now trying to counter the trend.
https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/msnbc/texas-science-textbooks-climate-change-rcna125841
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/17/texas-climate-textbooks-education-SBOE/
Hungry Babies Target of GOP Spending Cuts
It may look like the headline here is clickbait or propaganda from the left, but it's not, its real.
A non-decision by the GOP-controlled House has
WIC helps mothers and their babies with things like nutritious food to supplement diet, information on healthy eating and breastfeeding, as well as referrals to health care and other social services.
The next chance to do something to save the program comes on January 19th, when Congress will vote on another short-term spending bill covering food and agriculture. Otherwise, there could be a wait list for WIC for the first time in the last 30 years.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/21/food-aid-wic-funding-00128172
Trouble On The GOP Homefront
I found this interesting article in Newsweek this week on Congressman Matt Gaetz. He's the erratic Republican from Florida who has created havoc that included a pivotal role in ousting former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. It seems the folks in his home district aren't that enthusiastic anymore about the man they sent to Congress. A poll from Florida
Gaetz is a strong backer of Donald Trump. He had been the subject of a sex trafficking probe by the Justice Department, which has now concluded with no charges filed.
Gaetz, who is up for re-election next November, is already threatening the new Speaker, Mike Johnson, with the same tactics he used to oust McCarthy.
https://www.newsweek.com/matt-gaetz-faces-revolt-his-hometown-1845708
Dumbest Quote of The Week!
This week's dumb quote comes from a reporter who forgot the first rule of good reporting, which was hammered into me and a whole generation of reporters for years.
Get it first, but first get it right!
Fox News reporter Alexis McAdams broke that rule big time when word came of an incident at the Rainbow Bridge between New York and Canada.
A car left the road near the checkpoint between the U.S. and Canada and appeared to explode. A short time later, McAdams reported:
"High level police sources tell me this is an attempted terrorist attack. Sources say the car was full of explosives. Both men inside dead."
It's not clear who her "sources" were. If she actually had sources, they were not reliable ones. McAdams never said. But that put Fox News into full "terrorist attack" mode, which prompted the "Blame Biden's border policy" mode by both Fox and members of Congress.
As you probably heard the incident turned out to be a terrible, fiery car crash, which killed a New York man and his wife. No terrorism, no explosives, no two men. And Fox was slow to correct the error once it was clear. Poor journalism from Fox is nothing new. But this time, it was pretty bad.
(Your comments and suggestions are welcome)
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