The Tip of the Iceberg, I Know, But…

Did you hear him say it?

Did you hear Barak Obama say he would “recruit an army of new teachers?”

He said many more moving things tonight, but that phrase—that word, army—says it all. It marks the beginning of the reclamation of our language. A language that has been hijacked, abused, and used arrogantly in our names for eight years. A language that has been usurped by a backwards morality and self-deceptive motives. A language that has been used to deceive rather than reveal. A language that has made me feel ashamed to be an American.

Homeland Security? The “Patriot” Act? Weapons of Mass Destruction? Terrorist? No Child Left Behind? Economic Stimulus Check? Operation Iraqi Freedom? Shock and Awe?

Words that imply one thing and, under President Bush’s reign, mean another. Not anymore. After all, it is teachers who shape, influence, educate, and inspire our citizens. What better defense do we have than that?

An army of teachers. The reclamation of the very words we use to communicate. The beginning of saying what we mean, and meaning what we say. Yes. Please.