Thought for the Week: Labels

David Bone reflects on labels

by David Bone 27th February 2015

Labels are a method of shorthand that we use to embrace a concept. They are very useful and very powerful. However, the power of labels can also be misused and can be very dangerous. Under the Nazis in Germany we saw the word Jew come to be given extreme and negative connotations. To the German people being labelled a Jew was to be made an outcast and, ultimately, to be denied your humanity. In denying the Jews their humanity Adolf Hitler was able to legitimise the oppression and slaughter of millions of innocent human beings.