We must re-evaluate meanings of words

Editor:

In the late 1970s when I was at the University of Iowa, I participated in several “Take Back the Night” marches. Many were incensed that would-be attackers were “stealing” the nighttime streets from women.

I propose that it’s time to “take back the words.” After hearing so many times that President George W. Bush won because people with values voted for him, I have become very angry. I have values, and I voted for my values. And I did not vote for Bush. The problem is that the Right has stolen the word “values.”

As a matter of fact, I think the first step to taking back our country should be for us to open up a nationwide/worldwide discussion of the meaning of certain words and phrases. At the very least, we need to stand up and lay our own claim to these words. I’d like to see a discussion of “values,” “freedom,” “strength,” “special interests” (why isn’t religion a special interest?), “conflict resolution,” “morality,” and most notably, “pro-life.”

Here’s an example of what I mean. I realized that those who say they are “pro-life” are really “pro-human-cell.” I am pro-life. I support contraception, the right to choose abortion and programs for the poor because I value life. I value the life and quality of life of women; I do not want to see their goals for education, careers, happiness and marriage being shattered by unwanted children. I value the life and quality of life of children who are born to those parents who either didn’t want them or don’t have the emotional or financial resources to raise them. I am pro-life because I am concerned about the problems of overpopulation.

I am pro-life because I think a worldwide conversation is long overdue about the ethics of killing upwards of 10,000 innocent civilians of another culture in order to hypothetically prevent an unknown number of possible losses of our own. I am pro-life because I do not believe that we have the right to execute criminals. I think that “might” does not give us the “right” to cause pain and death to sentient creatures, animal and human alike. I am pro-life because I think the environment is a living thing itself and should be one of our biggest ongoing priorities.

Are you feeling angry? Depressed? We don’t have to wait four years to make a change. Think about your own personal definitions of these and other words. And let’s stand up and take back the words!

— Carol Scherba

San Diego