Terminology

As I have stated elsewhere, words are not clear. It is hard enough to communicate when both sides of a conversation are trying to be clear. If either or both sides deliberately use words to make things less clear, then communication becomes nearly impossible.

When people are advocating for or opposing a particular belief, position, or approach to a problem, there is a natural, understandable, and, in my opinion, highly objectionable tendency to manipulate language and terminology in a way that favors your own point of view. This is an inflammatory subject. The issues involved are often controversial and emotionally charged, and some people feel they must advance their opinions and crush the opposition using any means available, while others simply see their manipulative terminology as accurate and objective. Worst of all, many see THEIR terminology as accurate and honest, while the terminology of their opposition is inaccurate and deceptive.

The very best example, but also one of the most dangerous and emotional, involves the debate over legalized abortion. Rather than having one side called "anti-abortion" and another side called "pro-abortion", we have "pro-life" and "pro-choice". I initially viewed both of these terms with equal scorn. Although I have been politically active pretty much my entire life, I only recently have learned to instantly associate the term "pro-life" with "anti-abortion"; I used to have to stop and ponder the issue every time I encountered the term. I have, over time, come to accept the somewhat distracting term "pro-choice" since it is fundamentally honest. The pro-choice side does not advocate that ALL pregnancies end in abortion -- they simply argue for legalized choice.

"Pro-life", for me, represents the very worst kind of manipulative terminology. It is fine for those who oppose legal abortion to believe that THEY are "pro" life while those who oppose them are "anti" life, but those who favor legalized abortion may also consider themselves to be "pro" life. Much of this controversial issue comes down to a question of what constitutes a human life, and what therefore constitutes murder. For one side in this highly controversial, emotional issue to claim the title "pro-life" is akin to one side deciding to call itself the "right" side and their opposition the "wrong" side. This may accurately represent THEIR belief, but does nothing to enhance or clarify communication between the opposing sides and for those undecided on the issue. By the way, PLEASE note that I am not stating my own personal opinion on the issue of abortion. If YOU believe that I am, it is because you are viewing my words through the distorting lens of your own perception.

Another more insidious case of manipulating terminology is the term "Palestinian". On its face, "Palestinian" would mean "of Palestine", but it has now come to specifically exclude Israel and Jewish Israeli citizens. The TRUTH, though it has been hidden and almost lost at the present time, is that Yasser Arafat and other Arab leaders who opposed the existence of Israel made a conscious decision to adopt the term "Palestinian" for themselves, to further their own agenda. This has been highly effective. It seems completely reasonable to argue that "the Palestinian people" have been displaced by Israel, and are now worthy of their own special consideration. Again, I am not stating an opinion on this emotional issue. I am simply stating that Israelis are just as entitled to claim the label "Palestinian" as are those who oppose the nation of Israel.

It's interesting to note that by citing these two prominent examples of manipulating terminology, I have potentially angered those on both the political "left" and the political "right". People from a wide variety of political persuasions manipulate terminology to further their own agendas and attack the agendas of their opponents. In both of these examples, "Pro-life" and "Palestinian", the terms could just as well be applied to those with opposing views -- but the current "Pro-lifers" and the current "Palestinians" do not see it that way. For them, it is obvious that THEY are the only ones who are truly "Pro-life" or "Palestinian".

There are countless examples of this use of words, and sometimes it becomes a question of where one draws the line between honest terminology and manipulative terminology. Those who oppose the idea of an "inheritance tax" often choose to call it a "death tax". In a sense, it IS a tax on death -- though those who favor inheritance tax argue that the term "death tax" is misleading and inflammatory. I truly HAVE no opinion on this issue.

Those who employ the technique of manipulating terminology to suit their own ends generally push ME in the opposite direction. If they are willing to engage in behavior that I view as essentially dishonest, then I am suspicious about whatever position they are advocating. This does NOT mean their position is WRONG, but it does make me suspicious.

Truth is complicated.