Footnotes and Scare Quotes

Erik and I couldn't help but talk politics last night, due to a school debate topic that had to be explained to Brooklynn. Erik and I don't see eye to eye on a few things, and we probably never will. At one point he asked "What do you want from me? Because I can't give you a vote for Trump." That's fine. I don't need that to be satisfied. But if he (or anyone else) really wants to make me the happiest girl on the planet, they can demonstrate the following very sexy mindsets:

If you happen to catch me in a rare but low, sad mental state, it is usually because I am pondering the loss of our modern-day ability to truly communicate. The obligation I feel to hold my tongue in order to peacefully avoid  triggering  someone. It is what I am most often pondering when I read or listen to the news... The questions that aren't asked. The uselessness of the ones that are repeatedly asked. The nuance that is not acknowledged. The numbers that aren't included. The intent that is assigned .  And especially , the multiple meanings of words and the subjective thresholds for their applications.  Sometimes it's just a symptom of pride or our natural love of a good caricature. Other times, it is a deliberate tactic. Mucking up our common language is one of those things I submit is deliberate. My questions is: When a word gets a new meaning, can I call dibs on inventing the new word that takes the place of the old word's meaning? Like Racism. A stroll t...