Erin Ross is a science journalist, but her breadth of knowledge extends far beyond the scientific.
She also knows a lot about words and what words mean, and, as a member of the journalistic community, it’s incumbent upon her to share that knowledge with those of us who aren’t as tuned in as she is. Unfortunately, she decided to withhold her guidance when it comes to using the word “violence” before everyone was able to see it:
Violence: “The exercise of physical force so as to inflict injury on, or cause damage to, persons or property; action or conduct characterized by this; treatment or usage tending to cause bodily injury or forcibly interfering with personal freedom.” Oxford English Dictionary https://t.co/WtU9vTnwBE
— Jon Gabriel (@exjon) April 25, 2021
Wait! What did it say?
Fortunately for us, Jon Gabriel had the foresight to grab a screenshot:
For the record… pic.twitter.com/TG6l4I2lEk
— Jon Gabriel (@exjon) April 25, 2021
Thank you, sir. Now all of us can point and laugh at that asininity along with you.
:’( pic.twitter.com/btP1CHHrJV
— Jon Gabriel (@exjon) April 25, 2021
Take heart, Jon. She didn’t just block you; she locked her account.
She already locked her account. And I had this great screenshot for a reply. pic.twitter.com/GjDLbVNzu1
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) April 25, 2021
That is a great screenshot! What a shame she won’t get to see it.
Violence is not violence.
Silence is violence.
Same people— Beverly A. Pekala (@PekalaLaw) April 25, 2021
Definitions are violence!
— Dan Ornelas (@DanielMOrnelas) April 25, 2021
Wielding semantics with lethal intent.
— Captain Coordination (@KleptoBek) April 25, 2021
Heh.
She may have had best intentions, idk, but it's hard to listen to any journalist being precious about the meaning of words when the fold before the government's demands about not calling a crisis a crisis.
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) April 25, 2021
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Regardless of her intentions, her tweet was bad, and she should feel bad.
Though if recent history is anything to go by, Erin may wind up getting the last laugh after all:
I'm sure the definition will quickly be updated to meet the modern woke standards.
— Steve Bandy (@stevebandy01) April 25, 2021
I'm calling it – Oxford's going to change the definition
— Samuel Case (@samuelacase) April 25, 2021
Don't worry, Webster's will stealth update soon
— Cave Beater (@cavebeater) April 25, 2021
Dictionary changing definition in 3, 2, 1…
— Preston (@pbrown84119) April 25, 2021
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