loaded language

Over the holidays, my family met up in Tucson, Arizona, where we lived from '91 to '96. I can't remember the topic, but something elicited my brother Seth to say, "That's loaded." Mama was about to object when he clarified, "Loaded with meaning, like all language." I thought it was a really interesting point. Language itself is imbued or saturated with meaning. Every word we say or write has nuances, implications, and distinctions of meaning. Words are so detailed and precise....I wish I used them better.

So I was just reading a blog by a Jewish financial advisor who also happens to live in Tucson: http://larrygellman.blogspot.com/. He's been writing a few posts about Bernard Madoff who has stolen a record $50billion from investors. I've liked Gellman's take on it and on the ramifications for Jewish people. This ties into the language discussion because he also links to an article on the need for proportionality in our metaphors: http://blog.beliefnet.com/windowsanddoors/2009/01/madoff-and-adolf---bernie-hitl.html#preview. There is even a blog entirely dedicated to documenting disproportional uses of the Holocaust/Nazis/Hitler in metaphors: http://worsethanhitler.wordpress.com/. His "Primer" gives a good summary, although not necessarily great examples of alternatives. Interesting stuff, but ultimately, wouldn't you also consider the disproportionality of spending your time documenting this?