How Language Works

Language carries many messages beyond the simple definitions of the words we use. Words have denotations and connotations. The denotation of a word is it's basic dictionary definition. The connotation of a word might include attitudes that give that word positive or negative qualities in the mind of the listener. For instance freedom fighter has a positive connotation but war lord has a negative one, even though both terms could often be used to describe the same individual.

There's daily evidence in the world of advertising of this kind of thing. General Motors calls one of their auto models the Impala, an athletic, graceful antelope native to Africa that's never tipped over an American garbage can or pooped in the yard. The response to the name is generally a positive. On the other hand, no cars are named Skunk or Raccoon, animals that regarded as varmints and pests by suburban homeowners. These animals are simply animals. They aren't inherently good or evil.

This newspaper item regarding a recent incident demonstrates how denotation and connotation work: 

The hateful messages received last week by Black students at White Bear Lake Area High School were a “hoax,” sent by a female student who was trying to raise awareness of problems at the school, according to school and city officials.

The FBI helped identify the student who created the anonymous Instagram account, and she took responsibility Monday afternoon, Superintendent Wayne Kazmierczak wrote Tuesday in a letter to families.

 

There's a lot of interesting verbiage in these two paragraphs but the most interesting is the phrase took responsibility. The writer of this article, Josh Verges of the Twin City Pioneer Press, had some options available in composing this sentence. If the actions of the individual involved some kind of criminal or even anti-social behavior, and the individual involved acknowledged that action, it would ordinarily be described as an admission. The person admitted guilt. Admission in this case has a distinctly negative connotation. It's a close cousin to confession, which would also have negative connotations in this context.

Instead, Verges called the individual's response to the discovery of something so heinous that the FBI was called in to assist the local gendarmie in an investigation as took responsibility. In ordinary circumstances taking responsibility is regarded as an act of virtue. It has  very positive connotations. The  flip side of taking responsibility, being irresponsible, has hugely negative connotations.

Perhaps one could make the case that the incident was, in itself, a case of irresponsibility. Or criminal mischief. Or, since the messages were purported to be from another, identity theft or maybe digital fraud. It's possible that the rapid development of electronic communication has left behind some legal consequences for digital wrong-doing.

However, that's not the issue. The real issue here is in what light a media figure cares to present the actions of a certain individual. If there had been no hoax, or it had not been discovered, the person deemed responsible for it would likely have been expelled from school and tarred  forever with the disgrace of racist behavior. The actions of the anonymous Instagram commenter are magnitudes worse. If taking responsibility, also anonymously, is the sum of her punishment, it's another example of true cultural corruption and, in terms of this article at least, the continuing debasement of the English language in North America. It's more "mostly peaceful demonstrations" and "no widespread voter fraud".