Science and Sense: Science and Sense: ‘Destroying' – a lesson in language

In this political season, we have all been exposed to the many words that get used until they no longer have meaning. In the political orbit, 'racist,' 'Nazi,' 'pedophile,' and other shocking epithets are designed to gin up your emotions before you even read the rest of the comment. 'Code words' exist on all sides of the political arena, and they often shut down real interaction before it begins. When someone comes at me with anything having to do with any political figure being a 'pedophile', I usually stop listening immediately. Incendiary code words do not advance the discourse, they shut it down. Locally, we have hot button issues about water, growth, newcomers, and our surroundings. Each of these issues has a few 'code words' that tell you instantly what you are about to hear. With water, the main terms are 'crisis,' 'running out' or 'wells going dry.' Growth? How about 'developers' (which has become a term much broader than just those who develop property for commercial or residential use). 'Becoming Phoenix/LA/Orange County' is another coded phrase. Regarding newcomers, the most common intended epithets are 'Californians,' or 'Phoenix people' – both of these terms seek to cast people from those locations as the 'evil outsiders who will destroy our town.' Destroy? This is the word I want to talk about today as the poster child for coded language.