First, as you know, in light of the recent fact that a group of artists drafted a "Spanish" version of the Star-Spangled Banner, President Bush opined last week that he believed the American national anthem should be sung in English. OK. But then there is this as reported by Fox News' Brit Hume:
Language Barrier
A hip-hop Spanish language version of the "Star-Spangled Banner" released last week prompted President Bush to say that the national anthem "ought to be sung in English," but he may not have always felt that way.
Media reports from the president's 2001 inauguration note that Latin singer Jon Secada performed two versions of the song — one in English and one in Spanish. And "American Dynasty" author Kevin Phillips claims that the anthem was performed in Spanish during campaign stops at largely Hispanic locations in 2000, writing that the president would sometimes join in.
Oiks!
Mr. O'Reilly earns our notice for three curious things he has offered viewers and listeners over the past several days. First, on his TV program, The O'Reilly Factor (on Fox), I watched Mr. O'Reilly debate a Colorado man, I believe, who felt that the use of the term "illegal alien" was racist and dehumanizing. O'Reilly disagreed, arguing that it was a descriptive legal term; that "illegal aliens" is exactly what some people are.
Not 48 hours later, on his radio program, the Radio Factor, I heard him begin a programming block with this, and I paraphrase: "You shouldn't refer to illegal immigrants as 'these people,' or 'those people.' For it borders on racism, even on xenophobia." In other words, it's dehumanizing. OK. Fair enough. But using "these people" is actually what "these people" are: They are "these people", which is far less damning, or potentially xenophobic and reductionistic, than "illegal aliens." But I will admit that I might be wrong.
Then, there is this. The following day, again on his radio program, Mr. O'Reilly began to use, in reference to certain liberal groups, the moniker "SP's". "The SP's say this ...", or, "The SP's are trying to do this ..." What does SP's stand for? It stands for secular progressives; those people who are earnestly seeking to produce a purely secular and liberal society.
Am I confusing things, or is Mr. O'Reilly? Which is it: Is it wrong to label, and thus to reduce, people with a shorthand or not? Is SP better or worse than "these people"?
Some terms, when defined and used NOT to dehumanize, are truly expedient and helpful. But Mr. O'Reilly earns a place in Newspeak Natterings because he is a man that, in this instance at least, is utterly confusing to me.
Peace.
©Bill Gnade 2006/Contratimes - All Rights Reserved.
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