In the beginning there was the
word—and the word was used for good and the word was used for evil.
Every hour someone commits a hate
crime. Every day eight African Americans,
three whites, three gays, three Jews, two Arab Americans, and one Latino become
hate crime victims. Every week a cross is burned.
Since the early 1980s I have spent
considerable time studying extremist groups, hate crimes and the language of
oppression. My studies have taken me to Ku Klux Klan marches, to Aryan Nations
gatherings, to a sedition trial of white supremacist leaders, and to meetings
at which members of The Order, a white supremacist terrorist organization, were
present.
My studies took me to a place that
is frightening and appalling—a world that shocks the sensibility of anyone who
reveres human life.
In the world of white supremacy
leaders preach that it is the divine mission of Aryan warriors to strike out
against all those whose skin is darker than theirs, to take over the government
of the United States of America, and to eliminate all enemies.
And then, on April 19, 1995, in
Oklahoma City, a domestic terrorist detonated a fertilizer bomb at the Murrah
Federal Building—bringing terrorism to the heartland of our nation, and taking
the lives of 168 innocent human beings.
We had no idea then that this incident
of terrorism would be multiplied 40 fold just 6 years later on September 11,
2001, changing the 21st century, and our generations forever.
Our media has devoted many hours to
determining why these tragic events occurred. Theories abound. In the final
analysis, however, I think we will find that the common factor is HATE. In the
case of the Oklahoma City tragedy, Timothy McVeigh, had been taught to hate so
vehemently that he lashed out at the federal government, punctuating his
actions by claiming that the innocent children were merely casualties of war.
In the case of the tragedies of last week, it appears likely that the
terrorists had also been taught to hate.
In the beginning there was the word,
and the word was used for good and the word was used for evil.
We are not born to hate—rather hate
is rhetorically constructed. As a professor of communication the most
fundamental unit I study is the word. In the case of white supremacists, my
attention is focused on how they use the word to oppress and to propagate
hate.
"Sticks and stones may break my
bones, but names will never hurt me."
We have all heard this childhood
ditty—and I think most of us know that words can indeed hurt. In fact, there is considerable
evidence that words not only hurt, but can oppress, wound and even provoke the
devastation we saw in Oklahoma City, New York City and our nation’s capital.
Think of the role that words and
names have played in world history—Pre-World War II Germany where Hitler
justified his final solution by labeling Jews as vermin, bacilli and roaches; The indigenous people of North America, called savages, half-breeds, scalp hunting barbarians; The history of slavery in or
nation where African Americans were defined as chattel, less than a complete human being. In all these cases, once a group is
dehumanized, their victimization is enabled.
And think of some of the rhetoric
that is going on right now concerning our neighbors of Middle Eastern descent
or who believe in Islam. The words we find in our Internet chat rooms and on
t-shirts are frightening.
It is interesting to note that our
media does not refer to members of white supremacist groups in the U.S. as
Christian extremists, yet they are quick to use the label Middle Eastern
terrorists or Islamic extremists, even though the terrorists are no more
representative of Islam and the Middle East as white supremacists are
representative of Christianity.
Our hearts and thoughts go out to
the thousands of victims of last week’s tragic events. We must make sure,
however, that in a rush to judgment more innocent human beings are not
victimized. NAFSA, the
Association of International Educators, issued the following statement:
“It is
vital to remember that the atrocities of this week originate in extremist and
radical organizations, and do not represent the broader beliefs or values of
any particular national, religious or ethnic group. The actions of groups that
lack regard for human life must not lead to misguided judgments about ethnic or
religious minorities in our midst. Our neighbors are not responsible for these
acts. Our neighbors are hurting too. If we turn against our neighbors because
they look foreign or are religiously different, we deny the very values that we
seek to defend.”
In the beginning there was the
word—and the word was used for good and the word was used for evil. Thus far my focus has been on how
the word is used to promote evil. But think, if those that hate use words to
oppress, why can’t the word be used to uplift, empower and liberate?
All across our nation people are
standing up to hate, using words to promote tolerance, understanding and an
appreciation for diversity.
The Southern Poverty Law Center
tells us that to confront hate we must ACT:
“Do something in the face of
hatred—apathy will be interpreted as acceptance, by the haters, the public and,
worse, the victim”
As citizens of the world
we need to reach out to those who may feel unsafe in our communities, letting them know
that they are welcome. This may be as simple as smiling and saying hello to
those who we pass on the streets. When we hear people making misguided statements
we need to speak out. Now, more than ever, we need unity.
In the beginning there was the
word—and the word was used for good and the word was used for evil. Let all of
us use the word better than those who use it to hate. Let us use the word to
uplift, empower and liberate.
Every day I walk to and from my new office I pass by a wonderful garden in front of the Quirk Building. The garden draws attention to a peace pole that presents in multiple languages the all-important phrase, "May Peace Prevail on Earth." What a wonderful way to begin each work day.
