The Meanings Of Words Are In People, Not In The Dictionary

It is amazing how the meanings of words have become twisted, so that words come to mean other things. An example is the Katrina tradegy in the South. It is a terrible thing to have happen, but instead of calling these unfortunate people evacuees or victims, they are being called refugees. The last time I checked, a refugee was someone who was forced out of his country, usually by a war, terrorists, or a different government. These people are victims of a horrible disaster and are being evacuated from their city until it is safe to return. They are not refugees from Pol Pot, Fidel Castro, or the Mayor of New Orleans, although one wonders about the that last one. What political agenda can and will be served by calling them refugees?

Will a future interview with one of these Katrina victims start like this? "Coming up next, we will be talking with Joe Destroyed, a refugee from the policies of the US Government and its President, who used the disaster of Hurricane Katrina to disinfranchise millions of refugees from their votes, homes, and families. But first a word from our sponsor."

We have seen similiar things happen in the past. The Rain Forest used to be referred to as a jungle. When it was discovered that people could not get excited about saving "The Jungle", a substitute phrase was created, and now "Rain Forest" has become the way to say it. Call me old fashioned, but I still want to call it a jungle, and there are times when it seems to be the best and only choice. Can you imagine Tarzan coming home to Jane, who asks him about his day. Tarzan's reponse could never be, "I've got to tell you Jane, it's a rain forest out there!"