Some words are stomped while...

Some words are stomped while others are placed on a pedestal

The word ?'liberal' has been pretty well trashed out of common usage in American lexicon. One might conclude that Ronald Reagan is the cause. I, however, do not think so. No one can accurately accuse Ronald of being an intellectual who had decided that the word was unfit for American ears.

Why are some words trashed and others placed on a pedestal? In fact, ?'liberal' was once a hallowed word placed, by Americans, on a pedestal. I suspect this happens because it serves the interest of a powerful ideology within the country.

With that thought one might very well point out that it was to the advantage of the Republican Party to trash the word. Yes, obviously, it served the interest of the Republican Party for this marvelous word to be disposed of.

If, however, one takes a drive through the Southland of America one will quickly discover that Reagan was an opportunist rather than an intellectual, thank God. If you drive through the Southland you will find that if you turn your car radio on you cannot help but hear from a great number of preachers. Every one of those preachers considers that there is only one thing lower than a liberal and that is the devil himself.

The Republican Party wisely decided that the religious preachers had set up a marvelous opportunity for wounding the Democrat Party.

I see hints that the Republican Party has decided to do the reverse with the word ?'freedom'. Listen to Bush and you will hear the effort begin. The word ?'freedom' is to become a word for the pedestal. It is to become the revered word that can be used to package the Iraq war in sentimentality.

Manipulating emotion through the distortion of words is a major means whereby ideology controls the behavior of Dick and Jane.