April 25, 2024
Golden State Republican Women
Janet Price, President
Submitted by the GSRW Legislative Analyst Committee
Valerie Evans, Lou Ann Flaherty and Elaine Freeman,
The Election season is upon us and the news coverage of the same will be inundating us with information until November 5th and beyond.
Do you wonder if what you are hearing is the truth or a lie or somewhere in the middle. It is sometimes difficult to discern the difference and researching issues and the people discussing the issues needs to be done to determine the truth or lie.
Several new words/concepts are being utilized by both politicians and newspeople. It is confusing and we thought that it would be helpful to define these now daily used words to understand their usage.
GASLIGHTING
(From Merriam-Webster)
: psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator
Gaslighting can be a very effective tool for the abuser to control an individual. It’s done slowly so the victim writes off the event as a one off or oddity and doesn’t realize they are being controlled and manipulated. —Melissa Spino
This is a classic gaslighting technique—telling victims that others are crazy and lying, and that the gaslighter is the only source for “true” information. It makes victims question their reality …—Stephanie Sarkis
: the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage
Election season can create emotions spanning from immense anxiety all the way to extreme apathy. The public arguing, divisiveness, and competition for votes, including political gaslighting, can be overwhelming and exhausting. —Vernita Perkins and Leonard A. Jason
As the midterm elections approach, Americans have gotten an earful both about crime itself and how the other side is distorting the news about it for political gain. “Cherry-picking!” “Fearmongering!” “Gaslighting!”—Chris Herrmann and Fritz Umbach
Intense gaslighting techniques are making it difficult for Montana’s commoners to discern what’s truth and what’s propaganda. —Steve Kelly
This corporate gaslighting effectively blames children for being addicted to social media and conveniently ignores how companies have intentionally designed their products to have addictive features …—Nancy Kim
Other ways to define the word and its effects:
Gaslighting is a colloquialism, loosely defined as manipulating someone into questioning their own perception of reality. The expression, which derives from the title of the 1944 film Gaslight, became popular in the mid-2010s. Merriam-Webster cites deception of one’s memory, perception of reality, or mental stability.
Gaslighting is an insidious form of manipulation and psychological control. Victims of gaslighting are deliberately and systematically fed false information that leads them to question what they know to be true, often about themselves. They may end up doubting their memory, their perception, and even their sanity.
VIRTUE SIGNALING
(From Merriam-Webster)
: the act or practice of conspicuously displaying one’s awareness of and attentiveness to political issues, matters of social and racial justice, etc., especially instead of taking effective action
And who benefits from displays of woke virtue signaling? —Veronique de Rugy
[San Francisco Giants manager Gabe] Kapler has said he won’t participate in the [national] anthem, as [an] act of protest over gun violence in the United States. … He’ll be accused of virtue signaling, and of being self-serving. —Sean Gregory
We are not leaders in the fight against global climate change. We are stooges in a mock show of virtue signaling. —Rex Murphy
Another Definition:
DEROGATORY
- the public expression of opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one’s good character or social conscience or the moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue.
“it’s noticeable how often virtue signaling consists of saying you hate things”
Virtue signaling is a pejorative neologism for the idea that an expression of a moral viewpoint is being done disingenuously, with the intent of communicating good character.
Do not question yourself. Question them and what you hear. The Truth is our refuge.
Legislative Portal links – Express your support or opposition to a bill or directly to the Legislative committee currently reviewing it (as an individual, not as a member of RW or GSRW) – click here, or the bill’s author – click here, enter your bill # and look for tab at top of the bill page labeled “Comments to Author”.
