Friday, September 03, 2004

Militant My Ass So when did the news departments of the major networks decide that terrorist was a dirty word and that militant should be used instead? You decide: mil·i·tant ADJECTIVE:    1. Fighting or warring.  2. Having a combative character; aggressive, especially in the service of a cause: a militant political activist. NOUN:    A fighting, warring, or aggressive person or party. ETYMOLOGY:    Middle English, from Old French, from Latin mlitns, mlitant-, present participle of mlitre, to serve as a soldier. See militate. OTHER FORMS:    mili·tance, mili·tan·cy -NOUN mili·tant·ly -ADVERB ter·ror·ist NOUN:   One that engages in acts or an act of terrorism. ADJECTIVE:    Of or relating to terrorism. OTHER FORMS:    terror·istic -ADJECTIVE ter·ror·ism NOUN:    The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons. Definitions from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language - Fourth Edition. Also, if the teleprompter readers that pass for news anchors at WCBS 2 use the words team coverage one more time while covering Hurricane Frances, I'm going to put my fist through the TV. File under Rants and Raves. 8:33:29 AM