Webster’s defines genocide as “the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group.”
Donald Trump’s insensitive Twitter jab at Elizabeth Warren…. was meant as a joke, but this President continues to alienate entire ethnic groups with his ham-handed use of social media.
The response to Trump’s clumsy play on words… is just as dangerous. Our need to hyperbolize tragic events in history is desensitizing us to their historical importance. Throwing around the word “genocide” and applying it to inapplicable events devalues the term over time.
Cherokee relocation and the subsequent loss of life on the “Trail of Tears” … was tragic and a regrettable chapter in American history. It also casts serious doubt on the supposed “greatness” of Andrew Jackson. Our government did not intend to wipe out the Cherokee. There was no deliberate attempt to extirpate the culture. Using the term “genocide” in this case only inflames misguided passions.
