In a society that values inclusiveness and equal opportunity, actively addressing racial inequality, implicit bias, and other inequalities faced by marginalised groups, is of utmost importance.
For those who haven’t yet been informed about Trump’s latest stunt, I urge you to take a moment and google ‘Trump banned words’. Now, reread the first sentence in this column. See what I did there? My statement, entirely innocent (or arguably even exemplary), uses six words that have recently been banned by the Trump administration. Six, from a list of nearly two hundred.
Laugh or cry
Upon reading the list for the first time, I didn’t know whether I should laugh or cry. Even now, I find the extremity of the situation almost comedic (key word, almost).
It took me nearly a week to gather the courage to write this column. It deviates so heavily from my usual topics, and to be honest, I was worried about how it would be received. But there comes a point where avoiding uncomfortable topics feels like cowardice, if not complicity.
Female
As an aspiring journalist, I find the prospect of active censorship particularly distressing. The list is a direct slap in the face of democracy, and an active threat to the freedom of expression- which is actually a constitutional right. I consider this aspect especially ironic, having witnessed voters throwing a hissy fit over the suggestion of a firearms regulation. Am I really supposed to believe that the word “female” poses a greater threat than a loaded handgun?
I mean, seriously, who sits down and decides that “diversity”, “feminism”, and “trauma” are threatening terms? Did they hold a meeting? Were certain taboo words pitched, and if so, how were those choices justified? I can’t help but picture a room full of people solemnly ruling out words that represent entire communities- all whilst allowing actual hate-speech to roam free.
Scariest part
Maybe I’ve read one too many dystopian fiction novels, convincing myself that the situation is worse than it really is. But isn’t that the scariest part? When the lines between fiction and reality blur this much, it’s hard to tell the difference.
Robin van Wasen, student at UCM