I wrote:
>The term "American" has multiple
meanings, including the following:
[SNIP]
>(3) supportive of the U.S. government, politically
conservative,
>pro-war (For example, the House Un-American Activities Committee
>declared U.S. citizens "un-American" for various alleged political
>sins. and more recently you can find examples of newspaper columnists
>declaring U.S. peace protesters "anti-American.")
Zoe replied:
I find (3) highly offensive. That is NOT a definition
of "American"
and to claim it is is to create a straw man to shoot down legitimate
use of the term, which is to definie people who live in the United
States.
It doesn't matter how offensive you find this usage, the fact is that
it exists. Here are a few examples that I plucked off the Internet:
The communist anti-war leftists are not satisfied
with their
large anti-American rallies, they now intend to try to stop the war
when it starts.
http://www.chronwatch.com/featured/contentDisplay.asp?aid=1778
It boggles my mind to see the attention given to
anti-war and
anti-American protesters in the United States.
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Feb/02262003/public_f/32922.asp
As Vietnam veterans we know all too well the
demoralizing effect the
anti-American anti-war protesters have on our mothers, fathers, sons
and daughters as they fight to keep America safe and free
http://www.pal-item.com/news/stories/20030228/localnews/1081575.html
The "Peace" Movement: a Front for the
Anti-American Left?
http://frontpagemag.com/articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=6007
Will handwringing Democrat ex-presidents and the
anti-American
protesters they encourage admit they were wrong when the first
McDonald's opens up in Saddam Hussein's gulag on the Tigris?
http://www.newsmax.com/showinsidecover.shtml?a=2003/3/1/114743
I've selected these examples because they each refer specifically to
anti-war *citizens of the United States* (including former U.S.
presidents) as "anti-American." Clearly, the authors of these
passages believe that it is possible to be both a "U.S. citizen" and
still "anti-American."
Like Zoe, I find this usage of "American" offensive. It attempts to
wrap conservative politics and pro-war sentiments in the flag of
patriotism. I hope Zoe will join me in objecting to this usage
wherever it occurs. Nevertheless, we have to take language as we find
it and recognize that words have multiple meanings and connotations
that are created, not by dictionaries or committees, but by their
actual usage in the real world.
--
--------------------------------
| Sheldon Rampton
| Editor, PR Watch (
www.prwatch.org)
| Author of books including:
| Friends In Deed: The Story of US-Nicaragua Sister Cities
| Toxic Sludge Is Good For You
| Mad Cow USA
| Trust Us, We're Experts
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