Words, They Have Meanings

I am disturbed by people who apparently think that if the meaning of a word upsets them or paints them in a less than flattering light, they can just change the meanings of words. It upsets me because the only way we have to communicate with each other is through words* and if we allow people to remove all meaning from words, we're left with beaver shoe crying although hi run.

Like this guy:

There is no shortage of exaggeration and hyperbole in politics. Republicans will routinely point out that Democrats are wrong, but only Democrats make these kind of rhetorical leaps:

• Skepticism over global warming is evidence that Republicans are anti-science

Well, if one spends one's time denying and smearing science in order to protect one's profits, what exactly does that make one?

• Removing collective bargaining rights for public workers means Republicans are anti-union

What else would you call removing collective bargaining rights? Unions, by definition, involve collective bargaining.

• Cutting funding for the Department of Education means Republicans areagainst improving schools

Okay, that's fair. Simply cutting the Dept of Ed's budget does not make one against improving schools, unless one also does not have a plan for improving schools . . . oh, well then.

• Passing tax cuts for everyone who pays taxes means Republicans only cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires

Refusing to pass legislation that only benefits poor people until a tax cut for people inheriting millions is tacked on, well, what would you call that?

• Cutting funding for the Environmental Protection Agency means Republicans are against clean water

They have no other plan to ensure clean water, so what am I to make of that?

• Ending unemployment benefit extensions means Republicans don’t protect the poor and want people to lose their homes

IF THE SHOE FITS, WEAR IT!

• Cutting subsidies to Planned Parenthood means Republicans are trying to ban birth control and abortion

"Ban"? In this context, no, they're just making it impossible for poor women to get birth control and abortions. It's not actually banning per se, but it's the next best thing. Effectively, for the poor women involved, it's the same thing.

• Improving our border security and enforcing immigration laws means that Republicans hate minorities

Um, if passing racist legislation in Arizona were "improving border security and enforcing immigration laws", I'd agree with you, but words, they have meaning.

• Cutting subsidies for school lunch programs means Republicans want children to go to sleep hungry at night

Well, if they're not eating at lunch, and they're not eating at home . . . Honestly, I knew people who deliberately failed classes during the regular school year to ensure that they had to go to summer school. They didn't like going to school year round, they liked eating year round.

• Failing to legislate levels of CO2, a greenhouse gas that we all exhale, means Republicans are anti-environment

Or stupid. Take your pick.

• Opposing teachers unions means that Republicans are against teachers

Paying off their loans and eating on a regular basis, that is.

I thought progressives were supposed to be more nuanced…

I've never claimed to be "more" nuanced . . .

*I suspect someone may say "Sign language, I win, you're wrong!", but that's still words. It's just words communicated via fingers instead of lips and tongues.