It has long been accepted that words matter. We know that speeches by those who want their hearers to act have an effect on those who hear. A brief look at our recent history confirms the power of words.
No one who has heard the recording of Franklin Roosevelt, in his first inaugural address in 1933, can deny that when he said “we have nothing to fear but fear itself”, that many Americans took heart that the Great Depression could be overcome.
That same President also challenged his nation when, after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, he told Congress and the nation, that that day would “live in infamy” as he exhorted his countrymen and women to overcome the enemy.
Or those of a certain age remember a young John Kennedy exhorting his fellow Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”. This inspired a generation of young people to serve America, many in the Peace Corps established in Kennedy’s time in office.
The Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s were led by Martin Luther King, Jr., whose stirring words in the March on Washington in August 1963 gave inspiration to the foot soldiers in that great effort to achieve equality. No one can listen to his “I Have a Dream” speech and come away unmoved, where he looked to a time where people could be judged by “the content of their character and not by the color of their skin”.
Even words aimed at our enemies have an effect. Standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin Wall, President Ronald Reagan challenged the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, “Tear this wall!” And in November of 1989, down came the Wall.
Even on a more basic level, words are designed to move people to act. Have you ever been in a tent revival where a charismatic and eloquent preacher revs up his audience? Exhorting his listeners to a better lifestyle, many respond positively. Every Sunday preachers and priests challenge parishioners by words carefully chosen, hoping and praying that those words have a positive effect.
Those who participated in sports can recall a coach using words to spur his athletes on to victory. Or otherwise — I remember the first game under a new coach, where we were members of the JV team. By halftime, we had managed a small lead and we players were feeling pretty good about it. But the coach, in the locker room at the half, harangued the team, and loudly (and somewhat profanely) told us collectively and individually how poorly we had performed. With nary a positive word from him, we went out in the second half and lost the game. Often, however, the right words inspire teams to greater efforts that lead to success.
Political campaigns plan rallies where candidates can address large crowds in order to energize their followers to work hard, and convince the undecided to vote for them. In the Presidential campaign just past, Donald Trump’s campaign stops were enthusiastic gatherings, overflowing many of the venues where he appeared. And the enthusiasm generated by him and his acolytes propelled Trump to a stunning upset victory.
So why are some people shocked at the attempt to gun down Republican lawmakers yesterday in Virginia? Members of the “Resistance” have vowed to drive Trump from office by their actions in Congress and out. And that “Resistance” has continually used words of hate and violence against the majority party and the President since the election. Here are just a few of those words.
Madonna, in the Women’s March in Washington the day after the inauguration claimed she thought about “blowing up the White House”. (This was seen on all the news channels.)
It is hard to ignore the image of Kathy Griffin, a comedienne hired by CNN to cohost its New Year’s Eve coverage since 2007, holding up an image of the severed head of President Trump; this obvious reference to the manner of ISIS killings in Libya and other Mid-East locales was actually defended as “free speech” by some on the left. (Townhall)
A partially taxpayer funded play in Central Park in New York depicted a Trump-like character being assassinated in an “updated” production of Julius Caesar is about to end its several week run. (Townhall)
A Fresno State University (California) professor, Lars Maischak, had two tweets around the time Trump took office. The first asked, “Has anyone started soliciting money and design for a monument honoring the Trump assassin, yet?” The second, just after the inauguration, claimed that “To save American democracy, Trump must hang, and the sooner and higher, the better.” (Townhall)
According to Investor’s Business Daily, on November 10, 2016, the following occurred.
Immediately following the election, someone tweeted, “Someone, anyone, PLEASE, take a sniper rifle and kill Trump; shoot him in the head.”
Another tweet said, “Death to Trump and all his supporters.”
A CNN reporter interviewed a woman who said, in reference to the election, “People have to die to make a change in this world”.
A video went viral on the Internet showing several thugs savagely beating a man while a nearby woman gleefully shouted, “He voted for Trump!”
AFTER the shooting yesterday, these appeared on Twitter.
“It’s a shame more Republicans weren’t shot.”
“No I don’t feel bad Republicans were shot at. I don’t feel bad for people who think I should die.”
Marcos Moulitsas, founder of the liberal news site Daily Kos, tweeted, “Republicans are getting what they want.” (A clear reference to the Second Amendment rights.)
Sonia Gupta, a former prosecutor from Louisiana, tweeted, “Before you start dropping to your knees and praying for @SteveScalise, remember that he’s a racist piece of s**t and bigot.”
The following tweets were reported by John Hawkins on Townhall, June 15.
“The Only Good Fascist is a Dead One.”
“If the shooter has a serious health condition, then is taking potshots at the GOP leadership considered self-defense?”
From Lea DeLaria, star of Orange is the New Black, this tweet came. “Or pick up a baseball bat and take out every f***ing Republican and Independent I see. # f*** Trump, # f***theGOP, and #f*** straightwhiteamerica, #f***your privilege.”
Dan Savage, journalist and supporter of the LGBT community, tweeted, “I wish they (Republicans) were all f***ing dead!”
Pardon the expletives, but that is a sample of the rhetoric that some say is nothing more than free speech.
Where does this hateful and vile rhetoric originate? According to Tim Bryce, of NewsTalk, “All along, the Democrats have claimed Mr. Trump is unfit to serve (in) office. His election represents a rebuke of their liberal values, which is a bitter pill to swallow. Consequently, the strategy of the Democrats has become a matter of manufacturing hate in order to turn the nation against the president . . . . The fact is, people hate Trump because they have been told to hate him, not because they have come to this conclusion on their own” (Bryce, 9 February 2017).
Words do matter. Perhaps the wonder of it is that there have been no lethal attacks on Republicans or attempts on the President’s life before this. What happened on that ball field is the responsibility of the shooter, but what of those who fueled his hatred? Do those words, too many to chronicle here, mean nothing? In a previous blog, I claimed that Democrats smelled blood in the water when trying to bring down the President. Now they have blood on the infield. When will sanity return?