Commemorating the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the lessons I've learned is that we must put his ideas and words to practice. My contribution to the humble, yet eloquent leader is dismantling a word that promotes more war instead of peace: the notion of the "homeland".
This is a word that is problematic and loaded, historically, polemically and nationally. It is a word that has been bandied about by the Bush Administration as a rallying cry for patriotism. And, it has even spawned a new agency sporting its name. The name of that agency (the Department of Homeland Security) continues the ugly legacy that even extends into the Orwellian nightmare in which group-think is the order of the day. The use of such a name contributes to the xenophobia and paranoia that has run rampant in this country.
The only way to walk toward a time of peace is to take away the words which spawn and support the ugliness of war and hatred. If there was any word that demonstrates it, "homeland" does it for me.
When I first heard the use of this word, immediately what popped in my mind was the Third Reich. It was the type of word to denote a far rightist über nationalism which mingled with the fascist intent of American exceptionalism.Wikipedia gives an interesting interpretation of this word [emphasis mine]:
A homeland (rel. country of origin and native land) is the concept of the territory (cultural geography) to which an ethnic group holds a long history and a deep cultural association with —the country in which a particular national identity began. As a common noun, it simply connotes the country of one's origin. When used as a proper noun, the word, as well as its cognates in other languages (ie. Heimatland in German) often have ethnic nationalist connotations: Fatherland, Motherland, Mother country, each having some distinct interpretation according to nationality or historical usage.
After September 11th, people around me began using this term. During that time, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. People were not only decorating their homes and businesses with flags and other American paraphernalia. Their usage did not mean a sense of pride and tradition. Their words emitted a stab of animus connoting arrogance and contempt. It promoted that there could be only "one type of American". That type of United States citizen could not be worshipping or thinking differently. A citizen with brown skin would be suspect. This paranoia extended to the discourse on television as well as radio.
It is true that Americans were hurt and scared. When fear comes into play, it turns into blame and outright suspicion.
It especially contributed to the way the President and his colleagues used the word:
"There's no bigger task than protecting the homeland of our country."
--George W. Bush
"There is no telling how many wars it will take to secure freedom in the homeland."
--George W. Bush
"It is a call to be vigilant -- to know that your government is on high alert, and to add your eyes and ears to our efforts to find and stop those who want to do us harm. [...] But in the long run, the best way to defend our homeland -- the best way to make sure our children can live in peace -- is to take the battle to the enemy and to stop them."
--George W. Bush
"Homeland", spoken from Mr. Bush's lips, conveys a sense of nefarious purpose. Coupled with the notion of "fear", "terror", "duty", Americanism" and "war", its continued usage only contributes to an aura of ruthlessness and narrow-minded perception in which nobody except the very few measure up to an "ideal". Such a "perfect identity" does not reflect the diverse population, nor the vast amount of languages, races and cultures that the United States offers. It only seems to encourage lies, mistruths and division more than anything else. Unfortunately, notions of colonialism and Manifest Destiny reflect the imagery promoted in the media. Since September 11th, the public has been bombarded with endless references to America's superiority ad nauseum. Such metaphors only serve to exhaust the United States society of its humanity, compassion and humility. We, as a nation, desperately need to restore ourselves back to a humane character.
To honor what Dr. King stood for, we've got to put such meanings as the "homeland" to bed. It is a despicable, horrible word that promotes a fascist doctrine. And, it is hopeful that it goes away into the dustbin of time and with the neocons who created and implemented such terminology.
In closing, think how close Mr. Bush's words are to yet another leader in history:
"What we have to fight for...is the freedom and independence of the fatherland, so that our people may be enabled to fulfill the mission assigned to it by the Creator."
--Adolph Hitler
Mein Kampf, pg. 125.
That is why this election is so important. We need a change in leadership before we go down that dark road into night.
--politicalceci