'Experts' warn of using the term 'looting' to describe the 'looting' going on in California

“Experts,” everyone, want us to stop using the word “looting” to describe looting:

Experts caution use of 'looting' in describing rash of Bay Area smash and grabs https://t.co/dQfftRG84T

— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) November 23, 2021

This is insane. Even the Washington Post calls it looting:

80 looters simultaneously broke into a Nordstrom near San Francisco, police say: ‘Clearly a planned event’ https://t.co/gz2Mw1SMg9

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 22, 2021

Peak San Francisco has been reached:

The most San Francisco response possible to the utter lawlessness occurring is to debate the words used to describe it. https://t.co/Qn7FSxNkzX

— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) November 23, 2021

Coming soon: “Mostly peaceful shopping”:

Future CNN chyron: Mostly peaceful shopping in the Bay Area https://t.co/mTm6zNjLVV

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) November 23, 2021

Or maybe, “undocumented shopping”?

Correct, the preferred term is “undocumented shopping” https://t.co/CoWkpAp87z

— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) November 23, 2021

Anyway, the article makes no sense:

Experts: Don’t call it “looting” bc that’s a term typically used for crimes by people of color/urban dwellers, but not white people, bc racism.

Also “we don't know…races of the majority of the thieves,” which would make use of “looting” here hard to attribute to racism, no? https://t.co/CTCWwwrPbe

— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) November 23, 2021

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So, it was looting?

Come for the “we should talk more nicely about looters.”

Stay for the “actually the looting in San Jose and San Francisco were a result of the Rittenhouse verdict.” https://t.co/DRjbqQ5qzE

— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) November 23, 2021

Exactly. They could have made the first point without the social-justice commentary:

It's one thing to say "looting" is wrong because the penal code says that's during a state of emergency.

It's another to say "looting" is wrong because is sounds loaded against minorities/"urban dwellers."

"Experts" should caution that looting isn't "racial justice." https://t.co/NSMre6zeBG

— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) November 23, 2021

And it’s weird how Merriam-Webster didn’t jump in here. Maybe it’s because they define what we see happening in San Francisco as looting?

This article is using a penal code definition, which is what the LEO sources referred to. But outside that specific technical terminology, looting has a much broader interpretation, as Merriam-Webster shows:https://t.co/63rJ6KFLko https://t.co/it2jwyKQsX

— Erik Sherman (@ErikSherman) November 23, 2021

Yeah, “trust the experts” has taken a hit of late:

Maybe people don’t “trust the experts” because of the constant efforts to smuggle claims outside their area of expertise (or that do not rely on any kind of expertise) under the guise of “experts say” https://t.co/AmKNjjyzO6

— Josh Barro (@jbarro) November 23, 2021

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