May 19, 2009

Journalese

Supreme Court sidesteps hate crime question

"Sidestep" suggests the court set about deliberately avoiding a difficulty. But in these three cases the facts were not sufficiently developed — there hasn't even been a disorderly conduct conviction yet — therefore the court determined the controversy to be "unripe."

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, on the other hand, does sidestep the language alleged to have been used by the defendants. The courts have no such compunction. So who's avoiding a difficulty here?

The newspaper, by employing euphemisms. Kind of ironic.

Meanwhile:
In the tradition of laws weren't always like this, share some of the jobs you had as teen that might have bent the idea of safety for minors a little.
If I had an account to comment, I'd share: "Copy editor."

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