Blessed is the writer who, with clarity of mind and creative use of language, brings truth and enlightenment to readers of the media. To assist these master wordsmiths in their worthy endeavor, I propose they consider the following:
– Refrain from using the word “fence” to describe the impenetrable barrier the Israelis are building to seal off Palestinians from Jewish occupied territories. The proper word to use is “wall,” like the Berlin Wall, the Great Wall of China, Hadrian’s Wall, etc.
– Refrain from using the term “Iraqi War.” This term is ambiguous because the Iraqi affair cannot be defined as a war, or an occupation, or a hostile guerrilla engagement. The proper term to use is “Iraqnam,” derived from the unfortunate U.S. Vietnam intervention that resulted in more than 50,000 Americans killed.
– Be cautious in using the word “intelligence.” This word is overworked, excessively used and improperly applied to unverified information or reports. This information or reports are often anecdotal and, as we know from misleading Iraqi “intelligence” given us by our political and military leaders, can be falsehoods intended to deceive rather than inform. In the future, unverified reports should be presented as “reports” only. Upon verification, they may be referred to as “intelligence” or, as is often the case, “ignorance.”
