The Power of Euphemism
After Bush used his first-ever veto to stop research on stem cells, I was flipping channels and happened upon a C-SPAN show. That idiot who wrote "The Party of Death" was talking about his book that claims the Democratic party has that focus, given our interest in protecting the rights of women to choose abortion... our belief in the right to die... and our belief in the value of scientific research using embryonic tissue.I flipped past it, but ended up coming back and seeing a different speaker. He was talking about "embryo research" and I realized we're now in a new game of euphemism with the lunatic right. I've been on many a conference call with environmental groups, arguing the pros and cons of playing this semantic game and I've come firmly down on the side of Yes, we need to play it.
So, now that "stem cell research" is being tossed aside, how about calling it the "Save Michael J. Fox research." As the beloved Republican child of Family Ties - a show with lots of hugs and learning - can't we all get behind saving him? If he weren't a multi-millionaire and been able to afford exotic brain surgery, he'd already be seriously disabled with his Parkinson's. The Republicans would want to hide him. He'd bring up too many emotions in his loyal fans. It would be too painful to watch him disintegrate, especially knowing we could have done something to stop it. We could have funded stem cell research, just like every other civilized, industrialized, GROWN UP COUNTRY.
But no, that's not where we are. We're in the crowd who wants to blow up the Middle East in hopes of bringing on Armageddon and the second coming of Christ. We're among those who think women and minorities need to go back where they belong - the kitchen and the plantation, respectively - so that the natural order of the world will be restored.
For those of us still thinking, it's time to put our heads together and practice our Anti-Orwell speak. "Save Michael J. Fox" research. "Care About Every Child Before Giving Birth" contraceptives. "Educate everyone for the benefit of all" schools. "Stop Killing People in the Middle East so Maybe They'll Stop Wanting to Kill Us" foreign policy.
It's a little wordy. Let's aim at phrases of three words, shall we? The pen is mightier than the sword. So let's get writing.
posted by dcnative @ 9:31 PM
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