Copyright Santa Clarita Valley Signal
By David Hegg I admit to being overly skeptical when I hear people exclaim about large, society-threatening conspiracies. But having seen many examples of influential people attempting to reshape reality through language, I’ve decided this one is real. As Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” All around us, we are watching the sword of rhetoric slay reality. The latest case in point comes from Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Texas’ 30th Congressional District. On a recent podcast, she decided to educate her listeners about the relationship between criminals and the crimes they commit. Speaking as though she were an expert in both crime science and the nature of humanity, she opined, “Just because someone has committed a crime, it doesn’t make them a criminal.” Stop for a second and reflect on that. Anyone of average intelligence must admit that, in reality, a criminal is defined as one who has committed a crime. Those who commit crimes are therefore criminals. If language actually still has meaning, those who commit crimes are … wait for it … criminals! Of course, it is easy to understand the congresswoman’s thinking. Having had a cursory introduction to her ideology, I recognize what she intends to communicate. Her path to power is paved with the asphalt of victimization. She insists that when someone’s situation is so desperate because of the vile societal structures around them, they are reduced to criminal activity to make their voices heard, then technically, they are not criminals. Instead, those who forced them into aberrant behavior, knowingly or unknowingly, are the real transgressors and ought to be rounded up and removed from society. Sadly, the congresswoman’s ideology promotes a reshaped reality that is patently false and foolish. It is what Charles Taylor calls the “social imaginary,” defined as what we all assume our society believes, even though, deep down, we are individually convinced it is wrong and dangerous. Imagine if we extended Crockett’s assessment to other areas. You could lie without being a liar, already the daily currency of some politicians. You could misuse public funds without being corrupt. You could commit any number of criminal infractions but not be held responsible because you’re not a criminal and thus, not criminally liable. This ideology so reshapes the reality of the rule of law, we are watching governmental entities cater to those “mistakenly” classed as criminals. Politicians who insist they “serve and protect” are now renewing their call to defund the police, having concluded that “victims” of broken societal structures aren’t really criminals at all. There are at least two reasons I’m bringing this up. First, reshaping wrong as right, evil as good, and criminal as righteous is morally and ethically wrong. And what is morally wrong is dangerous to both the people and the foundations of civil society. Immoral thinking and unethical activity are what tear down societies. Just ask Rome! But secondly, attempting to rewrite morality and reshape reality through language is unethical. It’s communication fraud. Using words in ways that are understood to contradict what they actually mean is a coward’s way of bringing about change. Reshaping reality through language is deceitful because it aims to dress up what has always been defined as wrong in catchy literary dress to make it appear right. It takes what is despicable and couches it as something to be applauded. Is the essence of abortion really “health care” when a human life is taken? Isn’t “reproductive freedom” really “de-productive freedom?” And isn’t “redistricting to keep elections from being rigged” really the same “gerrymandering” that was the stuff of vitriol when someone else was doing it? Perhaps I am overly sensitive to this chicanery because I make my living using words. Yes, words are my friends, and that may be why I find those who use them fraudulently so dishonest and dangerous. To make it worse, they are intentionally dishonest and need to be to make what is dangerous acceptable to their audience. Telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth must apply to our use of language as well. We must be more thorough in assessing the claims of those seeking to reshape our world. If we don’t hold the “shape shifters” accountable and refuse to sign on to their schemes, we’ll find ourselves in a world where ethical, moral and righteous behavior is no longer applauded. If the pen is mightier than the sword, let’s put up the shield of virtue, ethical living and virtuous behavior, and keep that “reality reshaping” sword from inflicting further damage to our society. God help us!
