David Hegg | Rhetoric and the Reshaping of Reality
By David Hegg
I admit to being overly skeptical when I hear people exclaim about large, society-threatening conspiracies. But having seen many examples of influential people attempting to reshape reality through language, I’ve decided this one is real. As Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” All around us, we are watching the sword of rhetoric slay reality.
The latest case in point comes from Rep. Jasmine Crockett from Texas’ 30th Congressional District. On a recent podcast, she decided to educate her listeners about the relationship between criminals and the crimes they commit. Speaking as though she were an expert in both crime science and the nature of humanity, she opined, “Just because someone has committed a crime, it doesn’t make them a criminal.”
Stop for a second and reflect on that. Anyone of average intelligence must admit that, in reality, a criminal is defined as one who has committed a crime. Those who commit crimes are therefore criminals. If language actually still has meaning, those who commit crimes are … wait for it … criminals!
Of course, it is easy to understand the congresswoman’s thinking. Having had a cursory introduction to her ideology, I recognize what she intends to........





















Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Sabine Sterk
Penny S. Tee
Stefano Lusa
John Nosta
Mark Travers Ph.d
Gilles Touboul
Daniel Orenstein