War of the Words

My new focus as a fourth year Communication/ Global Studies student has been to dissect the idea of rederick as a weapon of mass destruction. Language is our connection to one another; we use our words in an attempt to express our feelings and emotions, to understand the depths of our surroundings. Our dialogue represents our individuality and while it is our most expressive form of communication we often forget the power and weight of our words.

Since the war on Afghanistan was waged and as the war along the border dividing Gaza from Israel persists, our dependence on the mass media for information has become intensified. We rely on the news to offer us factual information that paints the picture of current conflicts. But, what most people fail to understand is that the words used by our media outlets, the words which describe certain situations always carry with themm the biases of the media establishment; biases that not only reshape the context of conflict but which influence the general public to absorb these biases as truths. The result is an extremely fractured society that is lead to understand conflicts as two- dimensional, good versus evil.

Using the current conflict between Hamas and Israeli forces as an example, we can see how traitorous and inflicting the word "terrorist" has been. Israel has gained credibility for their waged war as Hamas while Hamas also regarded as a terrorist orgazinization has been discredited and dehumanized in the public spherem in much part because this label connotates a specific image for the general public- ruthless fundamental killers with empty intentions. Is this definition truly representative of a supported party that is fighting against oppression? Violence is never justified but withing the context of war can there truly ever be a justified party?

The word “terrorist” carries with it a very clear message and description as the media has characterized it very specifically by regurgitating a terrorist ideology. This is the danger of our words, terrorism attempts to generalize a form of war that is in reality very unique to every situation. But, since we are only familiar with the terrorist as being evil, the media can use this label to induce a public biase and credit/ discredit active parties fighting for their rights; Hamas has been labelled as a terrorist party and therefore have no right to fight off the oppression being imposed by Israeli forces.