Diction and President Trump
Words are powerful. They are. They can be wielded as weapons. They can serve as a antidote for the most serious of illnesses. They can move and inspire nations, countries, and the world. Words predominate our day. We cannot go hours or even minutes without speaking them. Words can infect us, so much so that we repeat them over and over again, especially when they are placed to music. We may even say them when do not mean to, or when we are not aware that that we have said them. With such power, words ought to be utilized with precision so that meaning is clear. Amazingly, words are not utilized with precision. I have noticed that most people have a relaxed view towards diction, i.e., word meaning. Recently, I spoke with a pre-teen child, intelligent and well-spoken, during a dinner with friends. The juvenile was attempting to compliment the host stating, “The dinner is tasteful.” I pointed out that the word that the juvenile wanted to use was “tasty” not “tasteful.” “A ta