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Words Matter, But Not as Much as You Think
There are some words that just get in the way, and it is counter-productive to use them as purity tests. For example, I avoid using the word “zionist.” I have no trouble conveying my opposition to genocide, my support for Palestinian rights, freedom and dignity, my opposition to theocratic states, without using that word. “Zionism” means different things to different people, even among allies in the struggle against the murderous Israeli regime. I may know that I am absolutely right about what a word means and how important it is to call things what I know they are. But negating other people’s experiences loses sight of the big picture. And getting caught up in a specific term that might be triggering to different people for completely different reasons can sabotage a movement.
Here’s how I see it: I always want to keep my eyes on the goal. When I taught nonviolence in schools and community centers in the 2000s, there was pushback against the word “nonviolence.” It sounded weak or too radical to people. Instead of fighting over a word, I just called what I was doing “conflict resolution.” Back then, it wasn’t a jailable offense to say “conflict resolution” in a school. Perhaps now I would call it “civics.” It really doesn’t matter since by being flexible with my terminology and sensitive to people’s reactions to specific words, I can successfully teach the same content.
