Words Mean Things

I remember hearing the phrase "words mean things" years ago on the radio. I had to look up who said it and it was Rush Limbaugh! I used to listen to Rush all the time as I drove around Las Vegas in a delivery van and later as a salesman. I liked most of what Rush said, and apparently some of it has stuck with me.

Getting back to "words mean things", I recently had this phrase come back to mind as I was contemplating the new law in Arizona. As most people in the United States know, Arizona recently passed SB1070 ( http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf ) which states basically that it is illegal to break the law. More specifically, if you entered the United States from another country without the proper documentation, you are subject to jail, deportation, etc...

There are those in this country that think this law will somehow infringe on the "civil liberties" of illegal immigrants. By definition "Civil Liberties" are rights and freedoms that protect an individual from the state. Civil liberties set limits on the government so that its agents cannot abuse their power and interfere unduly with the lives of private citizens. So the problem I have is that if a person is in this country illegally, they are not a citizen and therefore do not possess the same rights as me or any other citizen.

And that brings me to my point that words mean things. I have read on the internet many places and heard on the main-stream news that people that defend this law are "anti-immigrant". The one word that is missing is "illegal"... I am anti-ILLEGAL-immigrant. My ancestors came here from other countries but they came legally. That one little word really changes the meaning of the sentence, doesn't it?

Another recent topic in the news that is causing an uproar is the proposed mosque to be built near "Ground Zero" in New York. From my understanding it is proposed to be built about two blocks from where the World Trade Center towers once stood. Once again the media reports that those opposed to building the mosque in that location are infringing on the rights of Muslims to practice religious freedom. In reality I have yet to hear ANYONE say they do not have the right to build a mosque and they do not have the right to build a mosque at that location.

What I have heard many times and from from many people is that they should not build a mosque THERE. It's a simple word... there, but in this case it holds great meaning. Just build the mosque a few miles away from the site where approximately 2,700 people were killed by muslim extremists.

It's that simple: Words Mean Things. I am not anti-immirant, I am anti-ILLEGAL-immigrant. It's not that I don't think Muslims should build a mosque in New York City, I just don't think the mosque should be built THERE (the propose site - two blocks from Ground Zero).

Yes, words mean things, even words that aren't spoken.