Ethnic cleansing

[JoeShlabotnik]

There are so many terms used in this world that make my angry.
One used often today is “ethnic cleansing.” Why not just say murder for the sake of hatred of a person of a different race or religion?

 

[steph03]

don’t know why it would make you angry … Ethnic Cleansing is just the term used to describe mass murder for the sake of hatred of a particular group of people of a certain race or religion… In that way you use two words instead of 19 to say the same thing.

 

[steph03]

Actually Ethnic Cleansing is not just murder, it is also the physical removal of a particular group and whatever trace they left there and to replace them with a more numerous or more powerfull group.

 

[Titivillus]

don’t know why it would make you angry

I’m not the OP, but I imagine the objection is that “cleansing” has a positive connotation – We want things to be clean – But ethnic cleansing is not positive. And what would be the opposite side of the coin? “Ethnic pollution”? Who wants that?

Trouble is, the phrase is so established it is difficult to come up with an alternative that does not become a mouthful, like “murder for the sake of …”.
Ethnic Erasure?
Ethnic Eradication?
Ethnic Extermination?

 

[steph03]

Cleansing is never a positive for those at the receiving end.

 

[lil_user]

I can understand objecting to the excessive use of labeling and verbal engineering in today’s world.
That being said, ethnic cleansing is a more grave sin than murder, akin but not equivalent to genocide.

 

[adamhovey1988]

My ancestors on my mom’s side were forcibly moved into what is now Oklahoma. They weren’t murdered (wouldn’t be here otherwise), but it definitely wasn’t right. This is an example of ethnic cleansing.