Throughout the past two years, the United States has witnessed a strong political climate that has nearly divided this country into two halves: the leftists and the conservatives. These two halves have butted against each other since the 1800s and long before then, but recently, it has become more prominent in our day-to-day lives. As an American citizen with experience and understanding of both political sides, one thing that is particularly concerning to me is the use of the word “anti-American.” In this article, I will be explaining why this word is concerning to me and why it should concern you too.

To show you the context of this word, “anti-American” is most frequently used as an adjective to describe the United States government, a U.S. citizen (or all U.S. citizens), an idea, or a political movement. It is typically said by conservatives to make a point about a certain person or thing. A great example of this is how conservatives say leftism is “anti-American” for not supporting Christianity, or even believing that when America was built, its Founding Fathers built systems to aid the straight white men such as themselves. Two more examples include how the Black Lives Matter movement is “anti-American” and how leftists must hate America because they support immigration. 

This word is concerning to me not because of the word itself, but because of how it is used so often to describe something conservatives disagree with. This is a word to describe terrorists and foreign governments that may try to harm U.S. citizens; it should not be used to describe the things or people the Republican Party hates or fears. It is the hypocrisy and ignorance of these remarks that instill worry in me. A worry that makes my heart drop into the pits of my stomach whenever I hear it used as a playground insult.

This word is impactful. If somebody insists that the county’s future president is “anti-American,” that creates fear. That fear may cause hundreds of people to act irrationally and dangerously. That fear may cause true anti-Americanism to blossom within our minds and it may cause irreversible effects. And the sad thing? That fear could have been prevented had the speaker used a more accurate word choice.

There is nothing anti-American about leftists or the Black Lives Matter movement. There is nothing anti-American about a movement or person that disagrees with you. I even dare to say that there is nothing anti-American about acknowledging your country isn’t perfect. America is still a young country; there is no way for it to mature if its citizens remain ignorant. 

I have taken the time to write this article because I am hoping to help others understand that their words have consequences. They are powerful. If they are used in the wrong context they can be confusing, inciteful, and damaging. It would be within our best interest to fully grasp the meaning of our claims before we display such confidence in expressing them.