[WikiEN-l] Re: Lists which are sheer nonsense

[Sheldon Rampton]

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.
-- 
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|  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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