Today the New York Times once again goes into the hinterland, to understand the yahoos that are destroying this country. This time it’s the gun loving yahoos, particularly the ones who just can’t live without their assault weapons, particularly the AR-15, the weapon of choice for mass killers. Well, we’ve gone through this before with the Times, but I’ve got a specific linguistic bone to pick. Here’s a paragraph from the article, in which I’ve emphasized a certain word:
For those who love the rifle, it is seen as a testament to freedom — a rite of passage shared between parents and children, a token to welcome soldiers home, a tradition shared with friends at the range. But in its relatively short life span, the AR-15 has also become inextricably linked with tragedy and has been vilified as the weapon of mass murder.
via New York Times
Here’s the definition of vilify from my Merriam Websters:
to utter slanderous and abusive statements against : defame
And this, from the OED:
Depreciate or disparage with abusive or slanderous language; defame, revile, speak evil of.
The word carries with it a connotation: that the abusive statements lack truth. That’s what slander means. No one is vilifying this weapon; they are speaking truth about it. It is the weapon of mass murder, full stop. Words have meaning. The Times used to be aware of that fact. It would be nice if it saw fit to revert to the old ways.
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