As a person of the pen in many forms, I have found semantics is perhaps the most important of all aspects of writing. As a columnist, I have tried to push the dialog on issues that are very important to me, but responses have varied widely. Aside from the couple of "interesting" letters — such as the man who said women are the cause of one-third of all wars — I think most of the differences come down to semantics.
During the last year and a half, this country has faced many new questions and issues that it never dreamed of foreseeing. But the fascinating thing is the way in which people have responded to the exact same events and ideas.
Security has been one of the hottest and most powerful words in recent times. While some find security in the bureaucracy and strength of Big Brother, others feel secure in knowing their constitutional rights and freedoms are maintained.
Another one is justice. Does it come with an eye for an eye? Or are we — supposedly intelligent, rational creatures — more critical of its meaning, seeing it in longer-term, deeper terms?
But as we listen to the recent rhetoric of the "leaders" of this country, the understanding of the meaning of words becomes increasingly difficult to define.
One of the more controversial words is terrorism. What qualifies one as a terrorist? The hijackers responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks victimized and killed civilians, but did not the United States government do the exact same in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam? Are only non-state actors de-legitimized by terming them terrorists? The colonists in the American Revolution were non-state actors who used violence. So were they terrorists, too? Aren't bombing towns and sanctioning food and medicine terrorism to those that feel their effects?
I have pondered these words, among others, during the last two years. I have learned of the power to elevate, eliminate and excuse. I have watched some exploit others' meaning of words for self-gain, and I have seen many follow the status quo for fear of being challenged on their meaning of words.
Regardless of your beliefs, I encourage you to take a moment every so often to reflect and reevaluate what the meaning of a word is. After that, decide why you believe it to be such and what factors have influenced your definition. Don't be manipulated by someone else's ulterior motives, and don't be afraid to disagree. It is only from apathy to anger to action that we will see the world that we desire.
— Senff, a senior journalism, hopes you have felt something — anything, from her words this quarter. Send her an e-mail at erin.senff@ohiou.edu with your final thoughts.
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Erin Senff
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Erin Senff
