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What's In a Word? #232 By Hank Silverberg We have come to a point now in our political world when words no longer mean what they were supposed to mean. Various factions will grab on to a word, distort it to meet their factional purpose, and thereby takeaway any real meaning at all. I have lectured on the use of all kinds of words to my students in communications classes, but here I want to focus on two words currently used in politics. Let's start with a common basic word: patriotism! Merriam-Webster defines it this way: patriotism noun pa·tri·ot·ism ˈpā-trē-ə-ˌti-zəm : love for or devotion to one's country To many people, that means flying the flag, joining the military or singing the National Anthem. But that is not what it really means. Love of country comes in many forms, including caring for the sick or hungry citizens of your country, teaching future generations, or when necessary, petitioning your government to express g