Horizons magazine is published by Presbyterian Women (PW) the national women’s organization of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Issue link: http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/521232
6 look at people as topics or as issues of race, class, gender, religion and s exuality—rather than as vibrant, unique human beings who live and love. Too often, rhetoric about current events amplifies our differences rather than emphasizing our com- mon humanity. Subtle language choices encourage specific negative interpretations and inferences about those deemed Other. Also too often, these stories ignore or disguise the power dynamics at the root of the us–them distinction. The insidious nature of this rhet- oric is what causes many people of faith to be fearful of those Others who were the focus of Jesus' ministry on earth. We must be aware of what is said, what is implied, what is left unsaid, and what our faith calls us to say and do in response. Let's Talk About It For an example of the power of word choices, let's look at a specific exam- p le. Wikipedia, by design, is open for anyone to write, edit and annotate. There's no media network or board whose political views must be pre- sented positively. For those reasons (and because it's often the first web- site listed in any online search), it's an ideal place to understand how using one word over another can have a huge impact. The July 2014 death of Eric Gar- ner is one recent event where rhetoric in media reporting influenced people's understandings of him and his death. Eric was an African American man whose death at the hands of a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer was caught on camera. An August 2, 2014, version of the Wikipedia entry "Death of Eric Garner" stated "Garner raised both h is arms in the air" and that an officer " push[ed] Garner's face into the side- walk." The same entry noted that "the use of a chokehold," which was the cause of Garner's death, "has been prohibited by the New York City Police Department since 1993." 1 These statements align with the video footage and NYPD policy. Examining Our Word Choices On December 3, 2014, the "Death of Eric Garner" Wikipedia page changed in notable ways. The lan- guage describing Garner's arms being raised was changed to "Garner flailed his arms about as he spoke." Next, an anonymous editor wrote that the officer "push[ed] Garner's head down into the sidewalk" rather than push- ing his "face." The editor also noted