Much of our personal and cultural perspective on the world is colored by the language in which our concepts and ideas are couched. Changing that language can therefore alter our attitudes about what we hear and see.
"Responsibility," for example, is a word with positive reverberations. It reeks of reliability, accountability, and self-control. It carries connotations of honesty, dependability, and courage.
So why have the media adopted the buzz phrase "claims responsibility" for the violent outrages committed by terrorists who cover their faces in cowardly anonymity, hide themselves behind innocent civilian populations, plot behind closed doors, and, in general, act totally irresponsibly?
If the media changes their terminology to "admits guilt" the concept itself changes dramatically. "Guilt" is a suitably pejorative notion to apply to murder. An admission of guilt clearly conveys the message that the perpetrators know wrong from right and have willingly made their hideous choice.
Regardless of the politics, culture, or religion involved in any dispute, no matter how complicated or divisive, there is the rational approach to resolution and there is the emotionally selfish, vicious, and vindictive response.
Terrorist groups of all persuasions have defined themselves as criminal by their heinous indifference to that most fragile quality: human life. Let's expose them for what they are and call a spade a spade.
Virginia Bola is a licensed clinical psychologist with deep interests in Social Psychology and politics. She has performed therapeutic services for more than 20 years and has studied the effects of cultural forces and employment on the individual. The author of an interactive workbook, The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a monthly ezine, The Worker's Edge, she can be reached at http://drvirginiabola.blogspot.com
Rolling Meadows Cadillac Escalade rental .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareAll UAVs Need a Self Destruct BLOS DeviceWhat do you... Read More
The Bill of Rights to our Constitution caused -- and... Read More
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act Was created on July 30th 2002, by... Read More
Political strategists, branding gurus and image consultants could learn a... Read More
Which companies are most affected by fuel? Who really bears... Read More
All countries have specific things that are abundant in the... Read More
A quick look back at NAFTA; how did we do?Stabilizing... Read More
The notion that local governments should have almost total monopoly... Read More
Perhaps a silent revolution is taking place, this time more... Read More
It is amazing we have so many men, who belong... Read More
The Republican Party became popular due to its view on... Read More
[Author's Note: Another essay that I wrote on notebook paper... Read More
For more than a decade, you the American taxpayer have... Read More
I applaud Monsanto for their R and D. I would... Read More
An American soldier is taken behind enemy lines and brainwashed... Read More
How many legs does a dog have if you call... Read More
Journalism, as it is often said, is the 'fourth branch... Read More
Recent international wars and the often spectacular ways in which... Read More
September 11, 2001 could have been prevented. We could have... Read More
A visitor to Moscow would be immediately struck by the... Read More
Recently I met a man in a coffee shop, a... Read More
The idea is to have all the important items with... Read More
Commission for Africa (CFA), one is made to understand is... Read More
The news media will regularly present views from Democratic (liberal),... Read More
1) IS HAVING A DEMOCRACY MORE EFFECTIVE IN ADDRESSING POLITICAL... Read More
Des Moines rental limo ..Originally published in 1958, "The Ugly American" (Lederer & Burdick)... Read More
Political strategists, branding gurus and image consultants could learn a... Read More
Having been to every city in the country over the... Read More
1. United States of America (USA)In the United States, legislation... Read More
Incompetence is all too obvious at the trade shows of... Read More
Water Conservation in larger cities is less of an issue... Read More
De-classification of official documents have been a routine practice in... Read More
Tonight I resigned myself to the fact that this is... Read More
Last week, I began my look ahead to the 2008... Read More
As pictures and videos surface showing young American soldiers humiliating... Read More
IT'S NO LONGER NEWS THAT CHINA IS BECOMING A MAJOR... Read More
Policemen in many US cities are taking their new authority... Read More
Is it just me or are you concerned that illegal... Read More
The filibuster has been a tool available to U.S. Senators... Read More
Maybe some of the people complaining ought to go to... Read More
A few hours ago, Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, the... Read More
The City of Portland is going after any small business,... Read More
Proposed changes to the Sex Discrimination Act ("SDA") 1975 and... Read More
"Rugged individualism" is actually a euphemism for Thomas Hobbes' baseless... Read More
Submiting the Criminals to The ICC!Everybody concerns about justice in... Read More
I. The FactsJust days before a much-awaited donor conference, the... Read More
Judgment and detective work requires thinking about possibilities. One of... Read More
We are currently seeing a build up in China of... Read More
The recent scathing remarks by High Court Judge Richard Mawrey... Read More
As I read the papers and watch the news day... Read More
Political |