THE VALUE OF OTHERING.

That's not who we are.  "It’s a way to call a policy, idea, or person un-American without using that harsh term.  It subtly conveys what would otherwise be an incendiary claim." Take away the polemics, dear reader, and you have a useful explanation of the value of a standard, whether we are speaking of what it means to buy into America, or what academic integrity is, or what Christian values are, or what operating a railroad safely involves.