Inner city, thug, traditional family values, illegal alien and sharia law. These are just a few words that put a racial frame, or an unfair, inauthentic, label on people in general.
Why is this a problem? Why does this upset me, and many others? Ask yourself, what is in a word? What are words for? Words convey a message. It does not matter if that word is a traditional word, or if it is listed in Webster’s dictionary. It does not matter what form of dialect someone uses. It does not matter how politically neutral that word is by itself. The point of any word is to express a thought. No matter how eloquently something is expressed, it is up to the receiver to interpret that message. In modern mass media, and in general conversation, which I have witnessed in the past, coded language has been used to be what some people call politically correct. Coded language can be used to be racist, bigoted, or prejudicial in any way. This a nifty trick because in today’s American society, it is frowned upon to say something that is openly prejudicial, especially racist. But it is not very frowned upon to actually be racist or bigoted.
Coded language is especially used by politicians and media to play on the fears and the sensibilities of the masses. This type of language gets a pass and does not often cause too much of a backlash. But again, what's in a word? A message. And in that message is the point of that word. When someone says “Inner city” or “thug,” we all know what they are really saying. If I told you the word table was now chair and that chair was table, you might understand me. The words have whatever meaning we understand it to have. I know what someone is saying when they call black citizens thugs, and so do you. We all do.
Ethnic and gender rhetoric is spewed out of the air waves and out of various media outlets across the country, and they have been for generations. Many Americans have been fear mongered to, and blatantly lied to for decades. A new era has begun in American politics, and President Barrack Obama’s term is coming to an end. A new presidential race has begun. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are leading their respected parties. Clinton has had a political career in which coded language has been used monumentally, as is the case with most successful politicians. It protects her. She can pander to the masses in any way she wants without ever being held accountable for saying something politically incorrect, while still being wrong or unrightfully prejudicial. But a lot of Americans are getting tired of this style of language. After years of mass media grooming society to fear and hate, now people want something that sounds more authentic. Donald Trump is giving that to them. "He says what’s on his mind," is what some of his supporters say. I implore you all to see that even though the words themselves are different, the message is roughly the same. What is in a word? A message. See through the letters that construct a word. Be wary of its message.
