Sledgehammer Nuance
October 8th, 2008 | by Jet Netwal |When I take my kids out for the rare trip to the donut shop, it’s serious business. They check the big glass cases over carefully, evaluating each donut, assessing the pros and cons, size, weight, construction. Finally decision made, the fingers come out.
“That one.”
“That one.”
“That one.”
We behave differently when we talk about people. We use words like ‘him’, ‘her’ and ‘us’. Our language is people orientated, with numerous pronouns to define the human element of whatever it is we’re discussing. It’s crafted that way because humans are of primary importance to us, and we see everything through that filter.
This is why enslavement, the changing of people into things is so abhorrent. The act of stripping their true worth and categorizing them in some sort of tare weight value defines the perpetrator as well as the victim and is equally dehumanizing. Neither the slave nor the slave-owner has a chance to reach their full potential. Once is involuntarily chained like an animal, the other has voluntarily closed his mind.
Our language is a powerful tool. Words have shaped this nation, from the beauty of our constitution, to the eloquence of speech made in times of turmoil, to the exhortation of preachers and the enlightenment of teachers. We all may not be eloquent ourselves, but we do understand our language in all its nuances. We’ve learned since birth how to interpret the gift of communication, read between the lines, and capture the essence of word choice.
When John McCain gestured vaguely behind him towards Obama at the debate, calling him “that one”, he spoke volumes. This is both the beauty and the damnation of the power of words. In that short phrase, he defined Obama as an ‘it’ rather than a ‘him’; he laid the weight of our history out there, and his gamble was that more people will agree than disagree with that assessment.
Come November, I think McCain will understand the sheer folly of that moment of dismissal.
Hat Tip to The Daily Dish
4 Responses to “Sledgehammer Nuance”
By Dusty on Oct 8, 2008 | Reply
It was condescending imho. Also, when he told one of the voters that they probably didn’t know who Fannie and Freddie were….that was real condescending bullshit if you ask me..
By Paul Merda on Oct 9, 2008 | Reply
Whenever we say something differently, we say something different… Basic rule of language for me.
Calling Obama “that one”, is a sure sign of dehumanization as you so eloguently put it…
By Gunboat on Oct 24, 2008 | Reply
Wow, that is just an unbelievable stretch!!
Tell me, how can I acquire this ability to read someones mind from clear across the country, hours (even days) after they say something and be able to tell exactly what they were thinking at the time.
By Steve O on Oct 24, 2008 | Reply
Gunboat, did someone just defrost you from the Cryogenics machine? Say hello to Walt Disney for me when they put you back, OK?