When an invasion is not an invasion.
I have been told, “You have a way with words.” It is not always meant as a compliment. I will admit that I have chosen the wrong word on occasion – like the time I described a woman’s engagement ring as “garish” – but I like wordsmithing (which is actually not a word) and the satisfaction of finding new and good words that communicate my thoughts clearly. It’s what writers and preachers do. It’s also why it takes me multiple drafts of a sentence before posting on FaceBook or sending an email.
Finding the perfect word can be challenging because words have literal meanings, but they also have emotional meanings. It’s “denotation” versus “connotation.” I learned that in a 10th grade English class.
The words we choose may denote properly, but may convey an idea or emotion (connote) improperly. For instance, saying a person is “cheap” connotes a very different idea than saying that the person is “frugal” or “economical.” No one wants to be called, “cheap.” It’s negative and reflects poorly on a person’s character. “Economical,” on the other hand suggests wisdom and money management skills. “Garish” can denote “glittering, showy, flashy” (By the way, the ring WAS garish in those terms), but “garish” expresses that the wearer lacks good fashion sense and is tacky.
“Invasion” is a good word. It denotes “an influx or an advance of a large group of people into a place.” It is the word the president and several media outlets have used to characterize the impending arrival of Latin Americans traveling through Mexico toward the U.S. border. Literally, it is a correct use of the word. However, “invasion” connotes militarism and hostile intent. It is a word that stirs up anxiety and fear. Last week, the president sent military troops to the border in preparation for the “invasion,” announcing that a rock thrown at border patrol or troops would be viewed the same as a bullet. Local militia groups – that are not beholden to government policies and military orders – have now begun to arrive at the border to aid the military when the invasion begins.
“Invasion” may be an accurate word in the literal sense, but it is the wrong word for what is happening. When we begin to describe a large group of people that includes hundreds of children under 5 years old as an “invasion,” we dehumanize them and we minimize the circumstances that led them to begin their dangerous trek in the first place. This is not a military force advancing against the U.S. These are refugees escaping the violence of San Pedro Sula—a Honduran city that has held the title of “murder capital of the world” for years. These are not people coming to take jobs away from Americans in search of the “American Dream.” These are families that are simply trying to keep their children alive in the face of the “Honduran Nightmare.”
Because we’ve had the word “invasion” drummed into our heads (and our hearts) for weeks, many people have begun to believe it and have begun to prepare for it. And instead of finding safety, these terrified refugees will arrive during the season of Advent and be met with suspicion and hostility and more terror.
Unless we change our words, we will be no different from the “posses” and gangs they are escaping. Unless we change our words, our response to the “invasion” we fear will become something even worse – something we publicly denounce during the Christmas Season. Our response will be the Slaughter of the Innocents. Merry Christmas!
Tongue on Fire 