Last week during a current events discussion, our English teacher kept track of certain key words or phrases that arose. These were words that carried meaning with them and deserved a closer look, which is what I shall be doing shortly. A few stuck out to me: extremism/radicalism, terrorism, Islamic world and them/they. Two other words that also came to my mind included "socialism" and "illegal" (when referring to immigrants). Often times, words like these get tossed around in discussions and no time is spent unpacking their meaning or implications.
First and foremost, pronouns like "them" and "they" are used far too often. In a diverse global world that is rapidly becoming more and more connected, pronouns like these create barriers between people of differing cultures, appearances and beliefs. By using these words, you separate yourself from others. You create opposition. Not a good idea. In the American government, there is way too much of this going on. As partisan politics prevail, people take sides and nothing gets done. Accusations fly. Labels including "liberal," "conservative," "socialist," "radical" and "extremist" are thrown at either side, halting cooperation for the greater good.
This attitude is a big problem in the global sphere as well. Where cooperation is necessary, for example in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a "us vs. them" mentality has prevented significant progress. Example of this: http://middle-east-analysis.blogspot.com/. It is vital that we accept responsibility for solving the problems that afflict us, rather than simply point a finger. A great first step is to limit our use of polarizing pronouns whenever possible.
In this same vein, the implications of the words terrorism and Islamic world are severe. The "us vs. them" way of thinking is already present in the minds of many Americans with regard to the Islamic world. In my experience, when people hear about Islam, muslims or the Middle East, terrorists come to mind almost immediately. These connotations in our society are dangerously negative and general. The nation of Islam is quite diverse and countries in the Middle East differ in many ways as well. Yet, when 9/11 occured, American sentiment turned against the entire region and the entire religion. This attitude still persists as evidenced by the uproar over the plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero. Because of this, we made additional enemies in the Middle East (as if we didn't have enough already) and global sympathies have drifted away from America. However, America's foreign image has slowly been improving, but it is still critical to rid ourselves of these broad generalizations that get us nothing but new enemies.
If you have any words that deserve unpacking feel free to comment.
I agree with you that "them" and "they" are used too often and can easily lead to the "us vs. them" attitude you described. It is easy for people to fall into the trap of using vague words like those because it is safer and easier than actually pinpointing a group of people. But, in order to actually make a point about anything, it is important to choose your words carefully and be as specific as possible. great post!
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