the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world

I recently read an article for my English 104 class named, "Watch Your Language."  The article, which was written by Andrew Vachss, is a short piece on how the words we use to describe things affect our views of those things.  Vachss argues that there is a big difference in calling an underage sex salve a "child prostitute" versus calling her a "prostituted child."  The difference has to do with more than just word order.  A prostitute, according to dictionary.com, is a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money; a whore or harlot.  This means that a child prostitute is a child who has sex for money.  This is, however, not true of prostituted children.  Their "owners" are the only ones who make money from the horrendous acts they force the children to carry out.  The term, "prostituted child," then, is far more appropriate; as it captures the true nature of the child.  That child has been prostituted (verb - to offer as a prostitute).


These kind of mind games that criminals play with us are, according to Vachss, intentional and common.  That is why Vachss encourages us watch our language.  By simply changing the way we talk, we begin to change the way we think.  


I find these tactics both fascinating and disturbing.  It's amazing to me the power that words have, even in everyday conversation.  However, I think that learning to talk and think the right way is only half the battle.  What we do with this information is what really matters.  It is what separates sympathizers from heros.

Watch this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLcJg66pUWc).

(For a brief summary of IJM, check out http://www.ijm.org/whoweare)