Am I the only one who objects when acts of pure evil, such as the Sept 11 terrorist attack or yesterday’s carnage in Arizona are referred to by the media and by politicians as “tragedies”? They are not tragedies. They are murder.
Accidental deaths are tragic. Fatal diseases are tragic. I would not call murder “tragic”. (Unless maybe you accidentally murder the wrong person. Then it would be evil and tragic.) Referring to such horrific acts as “tragedies” instead of what they really are, which is “atrocities”, is a way to avoid passing judgement. They don’t want to blame the guilty party. They don’t want to hold him responsible.
I guess it’s a sign of the times. Tobacco executives are routinely called “murderers” (even of children!) but not yesterday’s villain, Jared Loughner. He’s merely a “tragic figure”, you see.
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