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 theirlarge 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.
That's nonsense. "anti-American" does not carry the same use of the word as "American". Zoe Sheldon Rampton sheldon.rampton@verizon.net wrote: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.