Sunday, January 21, 2007

Peeve time

I am not sure it is a pet peeve, but it definitely is a peeve.

Main Entry: troop
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French
trope, troupe company, herd, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English thorp, throp village -- more at THORP
1 a : a group of soldiers b : a cavalry unit corresponding to an infantry company c plural : ARMED FORCES, SOLDIERS
2 : a collection of people or things : CREW 2
3 : a flock of mammals or birds
4 : the basic organizational unit of Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts under an adult leader

I am reading the news and it says, 5 troops killed in Iraq, or like today 26 troops killed in Iraq. I am mortified. Then, upon investigation, I discover that is was not 5 troops, or 26 troops, it was 5 soldiers, and 26 soldiers. While, 1 dead soldier is not a good thing by any stretch of the imagination, it is not as bad as 1 troop. You would think that journalist would know the difference. Are they just trying to sensationalize the loss of life ? If so, they are just as guilty as those that embellished the facts to get us into this war. If exaggeration for effect (Hyperbole) is wrong for one side, it is wrong for both sides.

It is a tragedy that American soldiers are dying and American troops are stationed in Iraq based on a lie, but lying to emphasis it puts you in the same boat as your opponents.

That's one of my peeves.

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