Using words to separate

Leaving my home town, I enlisted in the United States Air Force. I worked on B1-B (Bomber 1, Model B) airplanes. On these planes I also worked on SRAM's (short range attack missiles) and ALCM's (air launch cruise missiles) in the IMF (integrated maintenance facility) of the WSA (weapons storage area). I enlisted as an A1C (airman, first class) and quickly rose to the rank of SSGT (staff sergeant).

While in the Air Force, I worked on my B.S. (Bachelor of Science degree). I remember sitting in my neuropsychology class as an undergraduate in my senior year at Black Hills State University thinking, "What is cognition?" The professors continually say cognition, express cognition, explore cognition and teach about cognition but never, in my four years of psychological education has any professor defined cognition.

I continue to hear the word, attempt to use contextual cues to understand the word's meaning and humbly hide my ignorance in understanding this foundational psychologically important term in fear of looking stupid.

As the brave little child who tells the emperor that he has no clothes, Sarah, a meek and shy student in the back of the room raises her hand and asks the question everyone in class wishes to know. Sarah asks, "What is cognition?"

The professor shakes his head in disbelief and asks if anyone in the class wishes to inform poor, pathetic Sarah of this basic information in the school of psychology. No one raises a hand. Amazed at the apathetic response from his brightest students, the professor challenges, "Really, no one has an answer to this simple question?" No one does.

Fast-forward nine years. I'm sitting in an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) meeting in an elementary school and the Sped Ed (special education) teacher explains to the parent, "Your child has no phonemic awareness and lacks automaticity in her reading fluency."

The parent, dazed at the explanation, nods her head in false-understanding and the meeting continues. I watch the parent's eyes dart as the educational speak continues to befuddle and baffle the confused mother. The teacher pumps her condescending chest outward as a rooster, showing dominance, expects the hens to worship her prowess. She continues talking about CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) understanding, WPM (words per minute), ORF (oral reading fluency) and rate of accusation and the parent begins to cry, "How can I help my child learn to read when I don't even know what you are talking about," the parent asks in frustration and sadness.

The teacher reaches out her arm, offers reassurance and says, "It's OK, I know this is overwhelming but, your child will be OK." The parent, in disbelief and confusion leaves the meeting believing her child will never have the skills to live a successful life - all because of words.

Words - we use words to educate, to put-down, demean, clarify, create cognitive dissidence and to create a separation in social and educational class. We create acronyms to ensure those outside our chosen vocation struggle to learn our vocational speak. We create nonsensical words to define our work and expect those outside our vocation to follow our lexicon. This is ridiculous!

Don't get me wrong, I love words. Words are my life! I teach students how to use words to express their ideas and thoughts. I talk with people and offer ideas to use words to heal those they've hurt and suggest using words of kindness to heal past indiscretions.

My struggle is when one uses words to separate and create a class of those who understand and of those who do not. In this case, words are used to hurt, damage or demean - not the kind and loving power, positive words have to offer. Wouldn't it be nice if our words were understandable, kind, definable by a range of intelligences and of common origin? Wouldn't it be nice if we used words to bring people together and not to separate people? Wouldn't it be nice if we were emotionally and cognitively stable enough to share with each other in a common language our wants, desires, frustrations and beliefs? The world might be a better place.

Send comments or other suggestions to Bill Rutherford at bprutherford@hotmail.com.