When we don’t say what we really mean

YOUR COMMUNITY YOUR VOICE

Isn’t this age of euphemism great? We change words and their meaning to fit whatever narrative we’re seeking to advance. When “global warming” didn’t pick up the desired traction, it morphed into “climate change.” Abortion has been cleverly repositioned as “pro-choice,” and more recently, “women’s reproductive rights.”

And now, we no longer have illegal aliens. Instead, we have “undocumented immigrants.” Sounds so much kinder, gentler, don’t you think?

Of course, manipulation of language to promote an underlying agenda isn’t a new idea. George Orwell introduced the concept of “newspeak” in his classic book “1984.” We’re just a few decades late in fully implementing this practice.

What’s next in this mad rush to invent new terminology and redefine old terms? Here are some possibilities we could consider:

Speeding becomes “undocumented acceleration.” Robbery becomes “undocumented change of ownership.” Drug dealing becomes “undocumented pharmaceutical distribution.” Murder becomes “undocumented life termination.” Prostitution could be “undocumented sexual entrepreneurship.”

We don’t want to offend anyone by accusing them of doing something illegal, right? It’s not what you say, but exactly what you say.

Robert J. Tamasy Hixson