Wednesday, January 19, 2011

I speak English not Newspeak

Tuesday, during a discussion of the Chicago Mayoral election a guest said something about Rahm Emanuel being in the crosshairs of his opponents.

CNN's John King, in a fit of new found Civility Posturing pompously said, "We were just having a discussion about the Chicago mayoral race my friend Andy Shaw…used the term 'in the crosshairs' in talking about the candidates out there. We're trying, we're trying to get away from that language. Andy is a good friend, he's covered politics for a long time, but we're trying to get away from using that kind of language.  We won't always be perfect, so hold us accountable when we don't meet your standards." (source: Washington Examiner)

No, we are not trying to get away from 'that language'. 'That language' is English and we all understand what the common expression crosshairs means in the context it was given.

Further, you can take your smarmy apology, fold it up and stick it where the sun don't shine (that's also just an expression Mr. King, but if you literally follow my suggestion that's OK by me). The real reason you're trying to vilify commonly used and widely understood expressions is because you lot made fools out of yourselves with hair-brained, and faintly slanderous, political theories while trying to hang a lunatic's action on your political opponents.

Mr. King, I speak English and I'll be damned if I'm going to vilify a common expression to provide the likes of you a smoke screen for your stupidity and pettiness. If you really want to be civil, man up and apologize -- otherwise bugger off and take your nonsense elsewhere.

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