This, That, and the Other

Linda G. Hill asked us to write a post about our favorite word for today’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. I’m going to be like that proverbial salmon swimming upstream against the current. I’m going to post about a word that nauseates me whenever I hear it, which, these days, is way too often.

That word is “unprecedented.”

The word “unprecedented” has historically been a somewhat benign word. According to Dictionary.com, unprecedented means “without previous instance; never before known or experienced; unexampled or unparalleled.”

Unprecedented can be used describe things, good or bad, that are unique. Good things like unprecedented success, accomplishments, enthusiasm, or show of support. Or bad things like unprecedented disasters or failures.

So why does seeing or hearing the word “unprecedented” make me sick? Because of Donald Trump.

Ever since he rode down that escalator in Trump Tower almost three years ago, Trump has been breaking norms and shattering traditions. And from the very beginning, reporters, journalists, pundits, and politicians on both sides of the aisle have described his behavior, actions, and words as “unprecedented.”

But while the word itself is neutral, in the context of Donald Trump as President of the United States, it’s a gross understatement.

Trump is not merely unprecedented, he is disastrous. He is a lying, cheating, treasonous conman who is destroying our country. And he’s getting away with it because there is no real precedent for a selfish, shameless, immoral, racist, sexist, homophobic, misogynistic, unfit, unhinged moron like Trump as the type of person who occupies the Oval Office.

So please stop saying that what he says, what he does, and how he acts is unprecedented. It’s so much worse than that, which is why I can’t stand that word anymore.