Violent Political discourse eventually leads to violence
"Words — so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become, in the hands of one who knows how to combine them!" Nathaniel Hawthorne
Some of us have studied the power of words on minds so we have become, poets, lawyers, teachers, script writers, editors, journalists, historians, ad. agents, campaign managers, politicians… Some of us though refuse to see words as being significant, in altering the behaviour of people and some of us just pretend that it is “just a campaign”, or “only a slogan” because it suits our cause. Child psychologists would tell you if you call a child “stupid” over and over eventually he might think himself to be stupid. We see the powers of words on spouses who are abused, they hear “I love you and it won’t happen again” so often that every time the abuse reoccurs they simply push it under the rug, some of these women sadly are eventually pushed under the rug of our lives.
Growing up we saw it in movies and we would burst out; “ he brain wash the man fo do …”. Why as adults when we become involved in politics we fail to remember that people can be ‘brain wash’ is beyond me. Why when we become involved in politics we forget to remain true to our conscience is also beyond me.
Hitler in my view was one of the greatest orators the world has ever seen and hopefully will never see again. He was able to use language to almost wipe out an entire group of people, men, women and boys became his puppet and did his well because he convinced them that it was just, and it was the right thing to do.
When political parties use words such as; “kill”, “death”, “slaves”, “slavery”, “freedom”, “strangle”, “murder’, “oppression”, oppressor”,”liberty” … they are doing one simple thing stopping your thought process by appealing to your emotions.
To say “Stop the Bill” might get you only to read and move on, however if they say “Kill the Bill” immediately there are images that come to your mind that trigger off an emotionally driven process and you get riled up, you want to take action. You are no longer a critical thinker you become a puppet on a string. Unfortunately for some the emotions rise higher than what is anticipated and the results can leave many mourning.
We have to wary of developing violent political discourse, we must be wary of becoming victims of violent political discourse.
In an earlier note I spoke about women who become involved in politics let me once again make an appeal to these women to be bearers of the truth, and to respect the intellect of those who they serve.
©Adriana S. King
REVOLUTION
Adriana S. King (with borrowed text from the Legend himself-Robert Nesta Marley)
(Dedicated to Jeneille Lewis)
November 30, 2010
Looking beyond the rubble
My eyes focus on the words painted in red
Big bold letters of fiery Crimson
Now bleeding from last night’s rain
REVOLUTION
Then the man the legend came to mind
And I heard Bob screaming
“Revolution on my mind
We bin wasting so much time
Everyday problems in the world they maximize”
And like a horribly staged scene in a might have been good movie
I realize I am now surrounded by men and women my age
And we all stand there-SILENT
Looking at each other
Then looking at the rubble
Looking at each other
Then the rubble
Our souls screaming but our mouths, like our hands before, motionless
I felt a touch on my shoulder, and then there was a whisper
“When did this happen?”
I turned to see this brave silly soul who had dared to speak
I looked at his face and I realized he felt as ambushed as I did
And it was then that my lips parted
“See them fighting for power But they know not the hour So they bribing with their guns, spare-parts and money, Trying to belittle our I-tegrity now. They say what we know Is just what they teach us; And we're so ignorant 'Cause every time they can reach us
Through political strategy They keep us hungry And when you gonna get some food Your brother got to be your enemy
Ambush in the night”
I heard the words and I felt my tongue moving
But
I wasn’t speaking
He just looked at me as the lunatic I must have seemed to be
And I turned to face the rubble once more
REVOLUTION
The letters still bleeding from the billboard
Seem now to glisten in the early morning sun
And my heart smiled
"Don't worry 'bout a thing, 'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."
I moved closer to the rubble and the crowd moved with me
Then with our bare hands we began moving stones.
One ought to recognize that the present political chaos is connected with the decay of language, and that one can probably bring about some improvement by starting at the verbal end. If you simplify your English, you are freed from the worst follies of orthodoxy. You cannot speak any of the necessary dialects, and when you make a stupid remark, its stupidity will be obvious, even to yourself. Political language - and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists - is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. One cannot change this all in a moment, but one can at least change one's own habits, and from time to time, one can even, if one jeers loudly enough, send some worn-out and useless phrase - some jackboot, Achilles' heel, hotbed, melting pot, acid test, veritable inferno or other lump of verbal refuse - into the dustbin where it belongs. ~George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language," Shooting an Elephant, 1950
http://www.quotegarden.com/politics.html
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Let me start by saying that I like your blog and I am glad to see another Vincy blogger up and running.
Now
"We have to wary of developing violent political discourse, we must be wary of becoming victims of violent political discourse."
I agree with you that language is a powerful tool and that the connotations behind a word speak louder than the word itself.
So, with respect, when you use words in your post like "brainwash", "Hitler", "forget to be true to your conscience" you are also demonstrating the power of the connotation of words. And wider, when words such as "drips" and "drags", "lowest common denominator," "feeding at the trough", "jokers", "liars", "backwards", "dunce" are used to respond to sectors of the population that do not share a particular world view then we have people who would rightly be offended and would react accordingly.
I agree with you about the power of words. Words with negative connotations make for very messy discussions and any communicator worth his/her salt, if his/her aim is to further discussion on pertinent issues would refrain from the use of such words. Too much of word slinging happens in Vincy, too much polemics and not enough discussion.