Language is the heart of communication and thought. Without language, our thought process would be severely limited to basic instinctual thought necessary for survival. Just try and think about anything remotely complex without using language. It is close to impossible. Anyone who is familiar with George Orwell’s 1984 knows about The Party’s attempt to limit thought by implementing Newspeak.
With that said, it is also important to realize that language affects us in ways that we are not even aware of. Most people think of the higher brain as what makes the decisions and ultimately run ones life, but in reality, everything that goes on in the brain is kept in check by the unconscious mind. This makes it especially hard for anyone to really know what their motives for doing things are, if their own brain is shrouding them in secrecy. This also makes our mind susceptible to things like subliminal messages, and other messages that mold our thought processes without us even being aware of it.
There are many words and ideas in our language that have such strong connotations that it is often hard for people to let go of their opinions on the subject and look at it from a new perspective. Thought models on the subject have been so engrained that it is often impossible for an individual to allow their brain to think about it in a different way. An example of one of these extremely loaded ideas is illegal drugs and drug use by individuals.
Now I am in no way saying that drugs are good for people, certain drugs definitely have serious social and health problems surrounding them. But anything that is abused has the potential to cause harm. Too many vitamins can kill a person, just as too much heroin can kill a person. Most of the public has been brainwashed that drugs are evil and bad and that everyone should stay as far away as possible from them as possible.
This idea is simply untrue. Even “hard” drugs like speed and heroin have legitimate medical uses. Drugs like Ritalin (a form of cocaine) and drugs like Adderall (a form of speed) are routinely being used to treat kids with “ADHD.” Heroin is now being used for terminally ill patients whose tolerance to morphine has grown too high. New evidence shows that THC can block neuron damage in stroke victims and related conditions. These drugs are not without side effects, just like their illegal counterparts. However an increasing percentage of the population has no qualms about putting their kids on stimulants to improve their performance in school. People need to realize that it is drug abuse, and underlying psychological problems that are dangerous, not the drugs themselves. Unfortunately, our society has been brainwashed otherwise and it will take years if ever, for these drugs to overcome the stigmas that surround them.
Another thing that needs to be changed is peoples’ quest to legalize drugs. Most people forget that these drugs in question have been around for thousands of years. It is only within the past 30 or so that they have been illegal. We should be trying to re-legalize these drugs, not simply legalize them. While this may seem like a trivial detail in the middle of a huge problem, I will point out that we underestimate our unconscious mind’s role in thought processes. I believe that changing the language we use could significantly help people to overcome the huge bias that has been carved into their minds. While overcoming our biases on a subconscious level, this change in language will also remind people that the criminalization of these drugs has done nothing but take away our freedoms and created an enormous black market.
The black market for drugs is largely misunderstood as a consequence of drug use. While most of us never realize it, the language we use referring to the “drug problem” has significantly contributed to this confusion of cause and effect. Around 95% of our drug problem in America (meaning arrests for possession/distribution) is a result of the criminalization of drugs. The other 5% is the legitimate drug problem; accounting for drug crazed murders, the DWIs, and other social problems resulting from drug use. A significant portion of this country’s crime problem could be solved by simply decriminalizing drug possession and regulating distribution.
It’s a shame that most people will never be able to overcome their unconscious biases to reevaluate the situation and make an informed decision and hopefully I am wrong about this. If we can successfully change the language surrounding this situation, I believe we can bring more clarity to the debate. If we can rid ourselves of the limitations imposed by confusing and inaccurate language, I believe we can win this “War on Drugs.”
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