Owning is not something that pertains to people
Recently this new expression has woven itself into American English — invented and embraced by the GOP. What a strange concept. What does it mean? When you own something, you have full control over it. When you own something, you can make that object work for you. The word “own” may be used only for things, not for people. And yet here, “conservatives” are referring to people. They are referring to roughly half of their own fellow Americans as objects, not people.
We have seen how word manipulation has shaped how Americans think about their country. Wide use of the term “fake news” is a very old ploy and the first lesson in the autocrat’s book. All dictators have begun by undermining the importance of a free press. It has Putin written all over it. We recall the meeting between former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin where Trump said he wished he could control the press the way Putin did.
There are almost no uses of the word “own” when referring to people and not things. Slavery is the only exception. Historically, this is the only possible way to “own” people. That is one freaky shadow lurking inside this phrase. Should we be required to point out that owning is not something that pertains to people? In an autocracy all kinds of strategies are used to discredit enemies. One very popular one is to turn them into an object rather than a person, whose dignity our constitution protects forcefully.
When people are objectivized in this way it makes them much easier to threaten, wound or even kill, just as happened to our country’s slaves just one short century ago. Though Republicans are friendly and kind when you run into them in the grocery store, we have all seen that look of rage appear in the eyes of more than a few if you try to talk politics and express liberal views. Conclusion: Use of this expression drains more than half of our citizens of their humanity. It should be called out because it’s as dangerous as spouting “fake news” and watching only Fox, which turns out to be the fakest of all.
— Kim Lungociu, Annapolis