Words matter, not only in what they mean, but also in what they represent or imply. That's the difference between definition and connotation, or what can be called secondary meaning.
The worldwide backlash from the U.S. president's negative comments about Latino and African countries, while praising the people from northern European countries, portrays not only ignorance of American values but his own racism as well.
There's no other word for it. His words betray his racism.
Moreover, it's not the first time his speech and attitudes have displayed his racism, his ignorance and his contempt for the values that form the base for the American way of life.
News organizations around the world have picked up on the president's recent remarks about immigrants, and compared them to other things he has said, not only since he became president, but also during the campaign and in the years before that.
Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, and many more than three times is a pattern.
Now his pattern of racism has become so blatant that government officials around the world have openly condemned him for that.
The U.S. ambassador to Panama has resigned because of it. The United Nations High Commission on Human Rights has criticized his remarks as "racist," saying, "There is no other word for it."
Words matter.
No comments:
Post a Comment