You can read all about the Watergate scandal here, but that’s not the purpose of this post. This post is to simply vent my frustration about the overuse of the “suffix” “gate.” The reason I put suffix in quotes is because “gate” isn’t truly a suffix. Although it is the last part of the word “Watergate,” it is not a suffix. Watergate is the name of the hotel and office building where the Democratic National Committee headquarters was at the time of the Nixon administration. And a suffix is a grammatical device which can be attached to a word to denote a certain meaning. And although I understand that the “gate” “suffix” has come to denote “political scandal” because of Watergate, I find it very troubling how frequently it is use, but more so that the situations for which it is used are hardly comparable to the original scandal.
[Please note, when I say “hardly comparable,” I mean that the situations that are being compared are either grossly over or under stated.]
My first example is Benghazi “-gate.” And I shudder to even tack that “suffix” on there because of the atrocities associate with this event. In case any of you need reminders of Benghazi, (and if you do, I’d invite you to stop living under a rock, and join the 21st century) I am referencing the attacks on the US Embassy on the 11th anniversary of September 11, 2001. Our leaders had warnings, and our embassy personnel had requested backup weeks in advance, which they were not only denied, but had extra security removed! US Ambassador Christopher Stevens, former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty , and Information Management Officer Sean Smith were all killed during this attack on September 11, 2012.
For this reason I feel that attempting to equate Benghazi to Watergate is a feeble attempt in fully and accurately describing this horrific situation, for which we STILL HAVE YET TO HAVE ANY INDICTMENTS, let alone a trial or convictions!
Nixon was so embarrassed by having any involvement in Watergate, and was certain that he would be impeached and removed from office anyway that he RESIGNED AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! And nobody even DIED! For this reason, I will say that at least Nixon was an “honorable” man to recognize the fact that he did wrong and the fact that he no longer should hold the title of the most powerful man in the free world. Others I cannot say have near the “honor” of Nixon, and did NOT step down from office.
This, obviously, is an example of Watergate falling very short of describing the Benghazi scandal.
Next, “Bridgegate.”
Governor Chris Christie has the George Washington Bridge shut down for several days, causing massive traffic jams. There was even a FEDERAL investigation by the FBI! Seriously?!?
Clearly these people have never been to LA or Houston. Nobody DIED because of this traffic jam. Suck it up and take the Lincoln Tunnel. And that’s all I’m going to dignify this situation with. It doesn’t hold a candle to Watergate nor Benghazi. And people feel it’s accurate to place “gate” as a suffix because they had to endure … dare I say it, bad traffic!?!
So while I’m not the first in making a request for people to stop comparing stupid things to Watergate, I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds this not only annoying, but inaccurate and inappropriate.
Everything in life is a case by case situation, and everything should be handled as such. But to continually compare things to Watergate will only hurt your conversation, in my humble opinion. It’s almost as bad as the constant combining of celebrities’ names, but that’s a different post.
-Joseph Forefathers.
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