A Letter to Donald Trump on His Language
Dear President Trump,
When you were young, did your parents ever teach you to think before you speak? Did your teachers ever teach you to pay attention to word choice? Did your Wharton professors ever teach you the art of professionalism? Did your political advisors ever teach you that your influence is global? Did you ever ask yourself: what will be the consequences of my words and my actions?
Perhaps you were never taught. Perhaps no one was ever courageous enough to challenge that pedestal you sit upon where you can say whatever you want. Perhaps your privileged upbringing guaranteed that you would never be questioned, that you would always get your way. Perhaps this is all true. Regardless, you are responsible for your words now. You are responsible for the chaos you wrought. You are responsible for the American People. And the American People are challenging you now.
So I urge you, Mr. President, to understand the unparalleled power of prose. I urge you to seek truth and trustworthiness in your terminology. I urge you to consider the countless consequences of your communication.
The Unparalleled Power of Prose
Every word counts, Mr. President. Every word has an effect, positive or negative. Each word should be considered, planned, and understood before being uttered. It boils down to the most basic word choices. In your case, Mr. President, describing illegal immigrants as “bad dudes” is not only immature and dim-witted; it is disrespectful and inappropriately informal. Additionally, referring to Hillary Clinton as a “nasty woman,” Megyn Kelly as a “bimbo,” and Alicia Machado as “Miss Piggy” is blatantly misogynistic and permissive of hateful acts towards women. Your words, Mr. President, are undeniably tactless and juvenile. Your words encourage the disdainful belief that minorities are inferior to white, male privilege. This belief then translates into action, and could explain why we have seen a spike in hate crimes since the election. Your words carry influence. Your beliefs permit negative stereotypes and spur on hateful action. Your actions will enable others to do the same. Be conscious of the power your words have and be mindful of the effects.
Truth and Trustworthiness in Your Terminology
Beyond the insults, there is more to explore within the verity of your claims. There is nothing more important in a democracy than a well-informed electorate. The American People, and more importantly their politicians, must have access to true and accurate information in order to promote growth. ‘Alternate facts’ are, by definition, impossible. You may have alternate opinions. You may have alternate perspectives. But you may not have alternate facts. ‘Facts’ are defined as “something that actually exists; reality; truth” by Dictionary.com and imply something absolute. Your inauguration had a finite and exact number of attendants. Do not exaggerate and use that exaggeration to bolster your own ego. It is not an ‘alternate fact.’ This phrase is plainly a euphemism for a lie.
‘Alternate facts’ are not your only avenue of misinformation. Words, especially in the political sphere, have actual meanings. ‘Military operation’ means the deployment of the United States armed forces. You cannot decide that it is an adjective meaning precision when describing your new deportation measures. If precision is what you meant, then say precision.
You also have trouble with lying. You see, a president is supposed to be credible. A president is supposed to consider the facts and make educated decisions. A president is supposed to understand evidence before spewing accusations. Your accusations of former President Obama wire-tapping your Tower are devoid of any actual evidence. Yet, you did it anyway without any regard for the seriousness of the claim. It was simply another childish deflection in order to undermine a former president. Little do you know that allegations such as this distract from real politics and real issues while simultaneously crushing your own credibility.
The Countless Consequences of Your Communication
I mentioned this before, but it is important, so I’ll say it again: your words carry power. With power, comes responsibility. Your words incite action. Right now, they incite violent and negative action. They encourage the perpetuated inferiority of minorities. They enable people who wish to cause harm.
But your words could incite positive change. They could condemn misogyny, racism, and xenophobia. They could move our country forward. You have the power for evil, but also the power for good. Your language could be used as a tool for optimism and to improve our society. I implore you, Mr. President, consider the great changes you could motivate. Consider the positive change you could bring. Do it for the sake of all of us. Do it for the women, the Hispanics, the Muslims, and all the others you have previously diminished. Think about your words. Bring in a writer, an advocate, a speaker, or an English teacher to show you the positive words. Consider changing your words, for the sake of our nation.
Sincerely,
Emily Fordice
