It is quite obvious that in Chavez's opening sentence, she believes while civility is a necessary component to debate, our public discourse and political discussions should not take a back seat in the midst of tragic events and heated arguments.
Bellicose, inclined or eager to fight, was a good word choice, as it helps her description of the hostility in politics. Since our nations founding, both parties have engaged in tense debate. Chavez points out that the word, "campaign", originates from the French word, compagne, and was used in English to refer to the time spent on the battlefield. In many ways, politics is very much a battlefield. Whether on the floor of congress, or pundits on a cable news channel; people will always argue their political ideology. Chavez makes it clear that our current heated public discourse is nothing new to the game of politics.
In my opinion, Chavez's main point is that extracting certain words from our public discourse, only harms it and places weakness on our ability to freely express ourselves. I think the best point Chavez used was Mark Twain's, "Huckleberry Finn", and removal of the word "nigger" and replacing it with "slave". To me, this is the best example as it exposes the absolute foolishness behind it. I believe that, in the context in which the word was used, "nigger" puts a greater emphasis on the mistreatment of African Americans in that time period, more than "slave" ever could.
I do agree overall with Chavez’s article, I think we often try too hard to be politically correct and not offend anyone, and as she points out, these actions only coarsen politics. As part of our rights, there is free speech, which gives us the freedom to freely express ourselves. However, this does not mean we should publicly say whatever we feel. As Chavez points out, we need to think before we speak. There are countless examples of politicians and pundits crossing the line and going to too far. Usually, the person who says hateful or discriminating things often pays dearly for it. Words are simply words; it is the context in which they are being spoken that matters the most. Avoiding metaphors that reference firearms and ammunition is outright foolish. Maybe some people just need to grow a spine.
