Richard V. Rupp

July 28, 2021

Good Wednesday morning. I'm author Richard V. Rupp, writing from Burbank, California. Welcome to Rupp's Notes/FBI Special Agent Hartman Series posts.

 

On to my favorite subject, words.

 

I try not to weaponize my posts with the words I use. I'm not sure I have always accomplished this. But I try. This is more than I can say for a lot of posts I have seen recently. And, I'm proud to say that I have used a lot of words since April 23, 2019. Since that date, I have made 152 posts in this series. That's a lot of words. You can check them out on my website www.richardvrupp.com.

 

But, today, there is no question in my mind that words are being used more as weapons than as a way to communicate rational thoughts.

 

"Those words are weapons," Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn said yesterday during the Capital riot hearings in Washington, D.C., as respect racial slurs hurled at him during the riot. There is no question that that riot was caused by the poor use of words.

 

I was reminded by what Officer Dunn said that we are in the middle of a world war of words. And, the weapons for this war have become nuclear because of digital and social media. I suspect the number of words you see a day has grown exponentially by 200-300%. There is no longer a rest period from words. You use to take a walk, hike, go shopping, or go to a sporting event and get away from weaponized words. But today, think of how often you look down at your cell phone or other devices. How many media outlets are there today? And many do not have to comply with any broadcasting code.

 

It has been said that lawyers use legalese or lots of words to confuse people. It looks like opposing tribes are doing the same thing. The words never stop coming. They are not there for clarification but rather for confusion.

 

Now booing against a team playing the Dodgers or Rams is not considered by me as the use of a weaponized word. I respect the other team (maybe not the Dallas Cowboys), but I want to let them know whose side I'm on. Yes, disagreement is allowed in America. But, let us keep it civil and rational.

 

Today a civil conversation is tied to only those within your tribe. Outside your tribe, most of today's conversations are muted. Yes, today, we all have tribes. You may believe that you are not in a tribe, but today's social structure has placed you in one. I hate to say this, but I have the feeling, like many people I have spoken to lately, that making the wrong choice of words outside your tribe could get you shot or knifed by a physical weapon.

 

A hated word applies to a lot of word dissemination today – propaganda - spreading ideas, information, or rumor to help or injure an institution, a cause, or a person.

 

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines a 'war of words' as: "an argument in which people or groups criticize and disagree with each other publicly and repeatedly for usually a long time." The question I ask today is how long a time is this war going to last?

 

No wonder the Bowman Twins and their millennial friends want to start afresh on their Moon Colony in my upcoming novel SKYWARD.

 

This is a quote from the READERS DIGEST  by Poet Femando Pessoa, "Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life." So I suggest getting away from the 'war of words' by reading some poetry or a novel. If you haven't already done so, try one of my novels – DEATH & TAXES, or DEATH ON THE HIGH SEAS. They are available at  Death & Taxes By Richard V. Rupp (archwaypublishing.com)

 

I need a drink after writing the above.

 

Cheers,

 

Richard V. Rupp, Author

Website – www.richardvrupp.com

Email – rupprisk@gmail.com

Copyright©2021 by Richard V. Rupp