Are you an Er?
Please visit my new site and participate in the poll:
http://www.areyouaner.com/
To "Er" is to ridicule or belittle an opposing point of view by creating a derogatory label that is used to silence opposition by means of humiliation. Note, the definition of "er" states that it is an interjection used to represent hesitation or uncertainty. Great term to demonize opposing points of view and avoid question, don't you think? This technique has been dormant for some time since "Bircher" first appeared, but has recently picked up steam after "Truther" has been so effective over the last several years.
Some of the most notable Ers include:
Birchers (aka JBSers) - est. 1958 (members of the John Birch Society who oppose a communist takeover of the United States)
Truthers - est. 2004 (people who question the accuracy of the 9/11 Commission Report and generally seek to understand the truth behind world events)
Birthers - est. 2008 (people who question the legitimacy of Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship and presidency based on his unwillingness to show an original birth certificate)
Deathers - est. 2009 (people who question provisions of the Obama/Pelosi healthcare bill regarding bureaucratic panels that will dictate care)
912ers - est. 2009 (people who believe in one or more of Glenn Beck's 9 principles and 12 values)
Tenthers - est. 2009 (people who believe in the 10th amendment which states powers not granted to the federal government are reserved for the states and the people)
Beckers - est. 2009 (people who watch Glenn Beck's TV show or listen to his radio program)
Teabaggers - est. 2009 (participants in the Tea Party Movement who believe in fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government and free markets)
Notice a trend? It seems like liberals really like this technique, doesn't it? What if conservatives were to jump on the Er bandwagon in response to being labeled the vile sexual term "teabagger" by labeling liberals "Salad Tossers?" A "Salad Tosser" could be defined as a liberal who: (1) is green and believes the earth is heading for cataclysmic environmental changes due to human activity, or (2) promotes vegetarianism and the complete abolition of meat, or (3) belongs to a bureaucracy or community organization in which the only way to advance is through the act of brown-nosing. You have to admit this term would be a pretty good description for at least some liberals. If you lean to the left and have used the term teabagger, how would it feel to be called a Salad Tosser for what you believe? I cannot imagine it would make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Those of you who do not yet know the foul definitions of "teabagger" and "salad tosser" try typing in "teabagger" and "tossed salad" at Wikipedia. It's funny how the liberal media has yet to figure out the teabaggers are the position of dominance. What does that make them, teabaggees? For an outrageous example of the liberal media mocking the Tea Party Movement, watch this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELy61zkZHO0.
Ask yourself: Is there anything inherently wrong with the word Birth? No (sorry eugenicist), but add "er" to the end and you have a group of crazy, hellbent conspiracy theorists, right? There's no evidence exists to support what these wackos believe, right? Not exactly! Let me let you in on a little secret: the reason why the so-called "Ers" are outraged is the fact that those in media (and those in power) completely refuse to address legitimate questions. Believe me, with a little research you will learn that these Ers have some very legitimate questions that need to be answered. There are literally thousands of websites asking very simple questions about world events that are completely ignored by the mainstream media. If a network personality does begin to pose some of these questions (like Lou Dobbs or Glenn Beck), what happens? Well, Lou Dobbs gets shot at and canned. Time will only tell where Glenn Beck will end up, but in the meantime he has been tagged an Er.
So why go through the effort to continually dodge questions and label those asking as some sort of "Er" rather than simply providing adequate answers to the questions posed? If questions were answered truthfully, there would be no more pesky Ers left to deal with. Why not have a public debate on the issues and let the people decide? I have yet to see a debate on any mainstream media outlet where Ers were given an opportunity to pose their questions and debate their claims. It seems like this would be preferrable to coming up with label after label and ignoring questions, doesn't it?
One trait shared among most all Ers is that they are critical think-ers. They question at least one side of the official, state-sanctioned reality. More knowledgeable Ers question both sides. If you are a conservative think-er and watch liberal media (MSNBC), do you believe their spin on the days events? Of course not. If you are a liberal think-er and watch conservative media (FOX), do you believe their spin? Surely, you don't believe Beck or Hannity, do you?
Ask yourself: Do different media outlets have a particular slant to what they are presenting to you as news? Does the same story on different networks often carry very different meanings? Thus, are people living in different realities based on their choice of programming? You might want to know the word program is defined as a plan of action to accomplish a specified end. Why are all television shows called programs? Doesn't a computer program simply follow the instructions it is given? What is the specified end they are trying to accomplish? Is it possible that there could be another angle on the news? If liberal media declines to report on some issues and conservative media declines to report on others, is it possible that both sides are not reporting on news that is fundamentally important to your well-being?
In case you didn't know, all major U.S. news outlets are controlled by only a handful of companies. Do you think they have your best interest at heart? Would they rather provide a forum for honest debate or keep everyone in the dark and profit from the public's ignorance? Who's connecting the dots on stories that just do not seem to logically make sense? This is where the Ers come in to try to make sense of things by thinking outside the box and drawing logical conclusions based on the available evidence and information. If you are an independent think-er and question the official line of your state-sanctioned media, you will most likely be labeled some kind of Er. It's just not PC to question what your sold ...excuse me, told.
If you ever decide to think for yourself and draw your own conclusions, you should know truth comes at a price. After doing your own research and exercising critical thought, you should know that as soon as you feel “sure” about an issue, someone will probably try to reverse your thinking by labeling you an Er.
Always remember SURE reversed is ER US.
