As a writer who occasionally runs into a struggle to find the right word to adequately convey what's in my head, I have a lot of respect for the importance of word choice.
The search for the right word can sometimes involve the good ol' thesaurus or dictionary, or a walk around the newsroom to pick the brains of other word people.
Sometimes, though, the question isn't so much about what word to use, but which one not to use.
Take Springdale's recent flare-up of violence. On Friday, March 13, Fabian Rodriguez, 18, died as a result of a gunshot wound on Applegate Drive. A 14-year-old boy and a 21-year-old woman suffered gunshot wounds. A 17-year-old was arrested on murder and battery charges. Two teen boys were arrested the next day after shots were fired at a home on Pierce Avenue in Springdale. The home is few blocks away from where the Applegate Drive shooting happened. Then, on April 11, 20-year-old Jimmy Rodriguez died from a gunshot wound after shots were fired from a car filled with four teenagers traveling past a home on Savage Street.
The flurry of incidents led to multiple statements from city officials about the work of keeping the community safe and a peace walk involving a diverse collection of Springdale residents.
Once upon a time, Springdale officials avoided use of the term "gang" at all costs. Some still do. Understandably, no community wants a reputation as a gang stronghold. So there's lots of talk about troubled teens, but not gangs. In Rogers, it's been "trouble groups," but preferably not gangs. Some will say that's a good choice; others will say you can't defeat what you're unwilling to name.
Word choices are a factor at all levels of politics. President Obama has been famously criticized for his avoidance of the terms "Islamic terrorism." He tends to refer to extremists.
Then, last week, his administration announced he would forego use of the term "genocide" to describe the 1915 massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey, a U.S. ally, insists the death toll has been inflated and the incident was not genocide. For Armenians, however, it's important that nations recognize this part of history. Pope Francis recently used the term, angering Turkey, and several other European government officials are expected to use the term in observance of the tragedy's 100th anniversary.
Oddly, Obama pledged as he campaigned in 2008 that he would recognize the historic event as genocide. His campaign sought support from Armenian-Americans on the basis of that pledge. As president, however, he has to factor in the concerns of a U.S. ally in the Middle East. Campaign promises suddenly look less appealing.
Some people call that politics. Others call it lying.
So, no genocide. But to Armenians, it's the same as denying the Jewish Holocaust. The word, to them, matters. Imagine if leaders of Germany today held fast to a denial of the Holocaust. Would that affect their international relations? I suspect it would.
Back here in Arkansas, do you think whatever Gov. Asa Hutchinson's committee comes up with as a replacement to the "private option" health insurance program will still be called the private option? Some suggest what they develop won't be all that different, but it will be "rebranded" so all the negativity associated with the private option can be avoided, and all those Republicans who pledged to kill the private option can say they did so.
Will it be AsaCare? Goodness, let's hope not. Hutchinsurance? Probably unlikely.
There's plenty of room for hypocrisy in the world of word choices. Last week, even as the Obama administration refused to say "genocide," the president chastised anyone who denies the existence of climate change, the 21st century adaptation of what was once called global warming.
"Simply refusing to say the words 'climate change' doesn't mean climate change isn't happening," Obama said, no doubt pleased he wasn't speaking to an audience of Armenians.
It's hard to imagine the president can utter those words without realizing the complete disconnect with his administration's stance on Armenian genocide. For Obama, it's "I say toe-may-toe, you say toe-mah-toe, unless of course, it's climate change."
Hey, Mr. President, it's not that I deny climate change. I just call it a "meteorological adjustment."
Commentary on 04/27/2015