Loaded Words: How Language Shapes The Gun Debate

Here’s a great article I’m asking all my journalism students and all my lit-crit students to read.

Words do more than just describe the world. They literally define it. They shape and frame it.

“Most people don’t understand this,” says linguist George Lakoff of the University of California, Berkeley. “Most people think that words just refer to things in the world and that they’re neutral. And that’s just not true.”

Lakoff has written many books about this idea. “English does not just fit the world. English fits the way you understand the world via your frames,” he says. “And in politics they are morally based frames.” —Loaded Words: How Language Shapes The Gun Debate : Its All Politics : NPR.

Post was last modified on 27 Feb 2013 9:24 am

View Comments

Share
Published by
Dennis G. Jerz

Recent Posts

Another corner building. Designed and textured. Needs an interior. #blender3d #design #aesthetics #medievalyork #mysteryplay

Another corner building. Designed and textured. Needs an interior. #blender3d #design #aesthetics #medievalyork #mysteryplay

17 hours ago

There’s No Longer Any Doubt That Hollywood Writing Is Powering AI

Two years after the release of ChatGPT, it may not be surprising that creative work…

2 days ago

The complex geometry on this wedge building took me all weekend.  #blender3d #medievalyork #mysteryplay #cgi #aesthetics #design

The complex geometry on this wedge building took me all weekend. The interior walls still…

5 days ago

Sesame Street had a big plot twist in November 1986

My older siblings say they remember our mother sitting them down to watch a new…

5 days ago