I Am Not Your Enemy – Language Matters
Simon Locke, CEO of CommunicationsMatch™ and Vice President of the Foreign Press Association of the U.S.
Labeling Americans or the media we disagree with as the enemy has become common place. Even if the word is not specifically used, it is implied.
This has consequences. Verbal attacks are being followed by now all-too-frequent death threats. Many communicators are in this line of fire while doing their jobs. Neighbors are being pitted against neighbors. Racial groups against each other. The rich against the poor. Christians against Jews and Muslims. The media against the people.
This is America.
We cannot forget that America has always had fractious debates. But let’s not kid ourselves that what we are going through now is normal or right.
It is not a coincidence that over the last decade we have seen a ramping up of political rhetoric designed to inflame and social media driving the wildfires of outrage. Or that Russia and China have, through misinformation and amplification, deliberately added gasoline to the sparks of internal conflict.
We should be deeply concerned when differences of perspective are framed in terms of culture wars. By definition, this positions one group as good and other as evil – the enemy.
We need to stop and ask:
Is a Democrat seeking economic fairness for poor Americans the enemy?
Is a Republican seeing a balanced budget and fiscal responsibility the enemy?
Is an African American mother hoping for the end of racism for her children the enemy?
Is a member of any faith looking to practice their beliefs without fear the enemy?
Is a journalist describing Russia’s invasion as war the enemy?
Is a colleague who voted for the other party the enemy?
Am I your enemy?
I am not your enemy. Those who disagree with me are not my enemy. Our colleagues and neighbors who voted differently are not the enemy. We should not allow ourselves, or let others tell us, to believe otherwise.
I’d like to believe that if Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has done anything good, it has reminded us of what an enemy really is. Let’s be clear and use the term correctly – our enemies are those like Putin, and Xi in China, who are crushing freedom and democracy at home and abroad.
Putin’s attack on Ukraine has unified Americans of all political stripes and colors in support of its existential battle for freedom and democracy.
We can only hope that we build on this and work harder to find common ground to revitalize our own democracy.
About the Author: Simon Erskine Locke is Founder and CEO of CommunicationsMatch™, a regular contributor to CommPRO and Vice President of the Foreign Press Association.
