Randall Thomas Huth: Trump’s mouth is his worst enemy

Now that some time has passed since our president used the word “s---hole,” we should consider the language that we use to think about people and issues. If Trump had said, “I wonder how many people from lesser developed nations should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S.” instead of bathroom talk, the discussion he really wanted might have occurred in the weeks following his offensive remark.

Immigration is a complex and important issue, one that involves the lives of real human beings, many of whom face death and oppression in their own countries. Immigration policy concerns U.S. workers who must compete with immigrants. American employers who need immigrants to perform valuable work also have a stake in this issue. However, Trump’s use of emotional words hurt people and clouded the issue he actually wanted to be considered.

Though we may be frustrated by “political correctness,” we need to choose our words carefully. What, exactly, do our words describe? Do the words we use express kindness and respect for others’ viewpoints? If we are to try to solve the difficult challenges of our time, we need to use words that invite people from all sides to reason with each other.

This story was originally published February 1, 2018 at 1:47 PM with the headline "Randall Thomas Huth: Trump’s mouth is his worst enemy."