Reexamine Word Choices
The more time I spend in and around Washington, D.C., the more I see and hear the same words over and over again: democracy, freedom, liberty.
They hang from banners, echo through conference halls and punctuate politicians’ speeches.
Georgetown University hosts programs, such as the Georgetown Democracy Initiative and the Free Speech Project, devoted to these words.
Yet the more I hear them, the more hollow they begin to sound.
The problem isn’t that freedom, democracy or liberty don’t matter. Quite the opposite, these ideas are fundamental to political discussion.
They’re what one could consider “flux” terms, having different meanings to different people and changing with the culture over time.
Through dialogue, we’re able to reach a synthesis on what these terms can mean.
Author's summary: Reevaluating words like democracy and freedom.