Watch Your Language

                                                      

The battle over euphemisms and politically correct speech is all but over – to the detriment of free speech,ⁱ the English language,ⁱⁱ the United States and its citizens,ⁱⁱⁱ and common sense. Saying the “correct” thing, even if it's not accurate, is much more highly regarded than saying the “wrong” thing, even if that's what you believe and that's what is true. Our current culture places a higher value on sensitivity than saying what's on your mind. Being right is less important than being correct.

But apart from self-censorship and acceptance of the whims of society, there are a number of language changes that somehow have become embedded in our legal system. “Marriage,” for example, which most dictionaries describe as “the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife,”^iv now has a secondary definition based, in some areas, on the legislature and the courts. Thus, the OED^v now includes in its definition “(in some jurisdictions) a union between partners of the same sex.”^vi The definition, therefore, depends on where you are. That's not unusual. Language varies depending on time and place. But the variation generally reflects usage patterns rather than the law.

Similarly, the difference between “fetus” and “baby,” one with far-reaching legal implications, is a difference based on law, not science or theology. Abortion is legal, the courts tell us, even if murder is not.

But those changes and differences are not the subject of this essay.

On July 20^th, James Holmes shot a large number of people inside an Aurora, Colorado movie theater, killing twelve^vii and injuring many more. Neither he nor his attorney has denied it. "This is not a whodunit," said Craig Silverman, a former chief deputy district attorney in Denver.”^viii So the issue of what happened and the identity of the shooter are not in question.

But none of the media appears willing to say so. All of reports of the crime refer to Holmes as the “suspect” or the “accused killer,” or they speak of him as the “alleged” killer. For example, “James Holmes, theater shooting suspect, faces formal charges Monday,”^ix was the headline on the posting of WPTV, while CBS notes that “Accused Aurora Killer James Holmes Allegedly Foreshadowed Crimes.” Another headline, on ABC, boasts “James Holmes: First Video of Alleged Killer Released,”^x while the Wall Street Journal noted that the “Alleged Colorado Killer Makes Court Appearance.”^xi

It's not hard to understand what's happening. This crime is not the only example of this phenomenon. The media are unable – or unwilling – to distinguish between fact and motive, and they're fearful of the legal consequences of using the wrong words. Because of this fear they are unable to state the obvious – that James Holmes killed some people. They will not say so until it has been certified by the courts. Only then will the defendant be a killer rather than an “alleged killer” or a suspect. In the meantime the suspected victims, alleged to be dead, will be buried. Or, at least, reported to be so.

When killings occur in other countries, the media are not shy about identifying the killers, whether Syrian armed forces, Chechnyan nationalists, or the Sudanese government. There is no talk about an alleged genocide or accused killers or suspects in a massacre. No one will sue them in these cases. But the press has been terrified into using misleading language out of fear of the American legal system. Rather than report that Mr. Holmes killed the people, and the dispute centers around whether the killings constituted “murder,” there seems to be anxiety about whether the wrong man has been accused, even though no one has made that claim.

The English language is becoming the world's second language. It is being adopted as a means of communication even by those for whom it is not the native language. That is so not only because of the dominance of nations which speak it, but because it is an expressive and nuanced language. Unfortunately we are removing those nuances in order to meet the demands of pressure groups, our own guilt, and the threat of the law.

"The only possible defense is insanity." Craig Silverman said that of the upcoming trial of Mr. Holmes, but it would apply as well to the press coverage of the event, and to our own treatment of the words we speak.

Next episode: “Bang, Bang, Bang” – Getting our way.

i     If someone who hears you speak deems you insensitive, you may be subject not only to academic censure, but to charges of “hate” speech. The old saw, “Sticks and stones will break your bones but names will never hurt you,” has been superseded by legislative and judicial outlawing of anything “offensive.” And when they develop a way to know what we're thinking ...

ii    For example, pronouns have been neutered and gender – a linguistic term – eliminated. The previously used term to designate a single individual, “he,” has been replaced by the pleural “they,” and similar changes have been made it the various forms of pronouns. Just yesterday I heard someone say, without irony, “To each their own.”

And a ship is no longer “she,” but “it.” It cannot be denied that language changes, but this wholesale imposition of the views of some on the entire language is regrettable. Apart from other considerations, the changes sound silly. And the language, itself, is impoverished by imprecision and by lack of color. Examples are numerous but these will have to do.

iii    An outstanding student – one very bright and with great potential – was once viewed as “special” and the educational system sought ways to maximize his (or her, but certainly not “their”) potential. Today the dumb and disabled (yes, I know that I'm violating all concepts of civility, sensitivity, and correct speech) are the ones we consider special and for whom we readily dispense our resources. No child, we are told, should be left behind, but our current system also ensures that no bright child will be helped to get ahead. It's no wonder that America's place among the nations educationally is falling, and that other countries are surpassing us in technical development and scientific achievement.

iv    Merriam-Webster.  

See: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marriage

v      Oxford English Dictionary.

vi       http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/marriage

vii    By the time this is published the number may change.

viii    http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/colorado-shooting-suspect-to-be-formally-charged-in-aurora-movie-massacre/2012/07/30/gJQAd8ukJX_story.html

ix http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/national/james-holmes-theater-shooting-suspect-faces-formal-charges-monday

x     abcnews.go.com/ July 22, 2012.

xi    July 24, 2012.