Here we go again with the misuse of "Cowards"

From Merriam-Webster -

coward; one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity

Any reasonable person would correctly characterize the assassination of Benazir Bhutto as a horrible, despicable act committed by those that prefer to live in an uncivilized world ruled by fear and violence.

 

Sorry, but anyone that is willing to give their life in pursuit of their beliefs is NOT a COWARD. Was Benazir Bhutto a coward knowing full well that knew she was likely to be assassinated? According to Bush, anyone that gives their life for a political cause is a coward.

He called the 9/11 hijackers cowards. And while they were vile, evil and criminally deranged, cowards they were not. How many people would gladly give up the domestic comforts and live a minimalist life, devoted to a religious conviction that culminates in suicide?

No, cowards they are not.

It's unfortunate that the best leader America was able to find is either so ignorant that he doesn't understand what he is saying, or he purposefully wants to distort the language for political purposes.

Either way, we lose and the rest of the world loses.

•  Agree

  Constantly misused.  Despicable, dastardly.  Yes.  Cowardly, no.  Let's stop debasing the language.

  by Paleo on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 10:42:44 AM PDT

•  Clintons response was the best I have heard this

  morning.  I haven't heard Obamas or Edwards yet. Bush just talked of the things he wanted out of Bhutto. I believe he was behind her going back. If he was, I wonder if he feels any guilt?

  by Owllwoman on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 10:44:34 AM PDT

  •  I would have to guess Bush is incapable

    of feeling guilt.

    Perhaps in his world, guilt is called grief?

    After all, our leader is constantly changing the definitions of our words to suit his cathartic needs.

    A sad day for all indeed. And having our president stand on the world stage and use language that will almost certainly incite Al Qaeda to more violence yet, merely adds insult to the injury.

    One would expect Bush to be intimately familiar with cowards. Cheney too. It's a bit odd having a cheerleader/frat boy that skipped out (deserted his post) on his fighter pilot duties calling others cowards.

    by SpiffPeters on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 10:57:07 AM PDT

    •  Why should he feel guilty?

      Should he oppose democracy because some nut might assassinate the person running for office?

      by The Scientific Liberal on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 11:10:31 AM PDT

    •  Bush is a moral pipsqueak, a sadly

      incompetent and ignorant man who through the bizarre machinations of the American electoral system has his clumsy hands on the levers of power.

      America the greatest country in the world?

      I think not.

      by Ammo Hauler on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 11:45:22 AM PDT

•  Too much credit

  The author gives Bush too much credit; Bush knows not what he says.

  I think that Bush, like others, dislikes the same characteristics of others that he dislikes in himself.  

  by nofltwlt on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 10:54:00 AM PDT

•  I disagree

  Previous attempts made use of a baby and a 15-yr-old boy.  Those who sent them are cowards, plain and simple.  I have yet to see Bin Laden "martyr" himself with a suicide vest to further the jihad.  Coincidence?

  by RyoCokey on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 11:22:18 AM PDT

•  John Edwards called the assassination

  a "contemptible, cowardly act".

  I suppose that makes him "so ignorant that he doesn't understand what he is saying, or he purposefully wants to distort the language for political purposes"?

  by rock the ground on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 12:00:35 PM PDT

  •  Yup.

    In the context of assassination/suicide, the perpetrators were not cowards. Misguided as they were, they had the convictions of their beliefs to carry them over the threshold that would normally prevent persons from killing themselves.

    They were not afraid to die for their cause. Anyone that would call someone willing to die for their cause a coward needs to reconsider this definition. Are our soldiers and first responders cowards then too? According to Bush, anyone willing to die for a radical movement is a coward. Invading Iraq was and is proving to be a uniquely radical movement.

    by SpiffPeters on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 12:41:28 PM PDT

    •  you're totally wrong

      The use of the word "cowardly" to describe assassins & suicide bombers is perfectly correct: a brave person stays and fights, deals with his problems here on earth however great; he does not escape by blowing himself up (and often innocents along w/ him) thus catapulting himself into a "problem free" state (heaven, oblivion, whatever). Bravery, in this sense, is staying and fighting and facing life, come what horrors (real or imagined) that may. Suicide, in the case of suicide bombers, is indeed cowardly. It is escapism. This is what is meant (whether you agree with it or not) when people say suicide bombers are cowardly, and it makes perfect sense.

      Why do think dying for a cause is so brave? You're down, you're out, you're benched, you'll never get back in the game. Whatever "bad thing" you fear will happen to you and/or your people if "your side" doesn't win--well, you've conveniently escaped that fate and left it others to live through out without you. And there are some fates worse than death. That's what you all do not seem to understand.

      by aitchdee on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 04:23:19 PM PDT

•  Disagree, used with expanded context...

  Cow·ard

  –noun 1.  a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person.

  Those who support a minority opinion and have not the support, skill, intellect, nor fortitude to move that opinion to the majority by legal means sometimes resort to "alternative" methods to advance their position. Simple manifestations of this are the bully (terrorist), and the cheat (republicons).

  In this instance we have a hybrid of sorts known as the dastard (Cheney).

  das·tard
  –noun 1. a mean, sneaking coward.

  –adjective 1. despicably cowardly; "the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on...December 7th"- F.D. Roosevelt

  These malcontents lack the courage to face real adversity and lose.  Instead they sneak around, avoid, behavior which may be considered admirable, and commit dastardly acts.

  By definition, a coward.

  by Jake Williams on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 01:18:10 PM PDT

  •  thank you

    the only sensible voice in the entire thread (naturally, nobody's listening to you)

    by aitchdee on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 04:24:37 PM PDT

    •  Jake offers a good opinion.

      But there have been other good opinions in this thread as well.

      Because I and others don't agree with you on the use of "coward" doesn't make us senseless. It means we disagree.

      by SpiffPeters on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 04:36:37 PM PDT

      •  if you're saying you disagree

        with what some people characterize as bravery and some characterize as cowardice, that's fine--that's a perfectly reasonable opinion to hold (heck, I may even agree with you).

        If you're (still) saying that you disagree with what constitutes the proper usage of the word "cowardly," then indeed you are (still) wrong. Because as much as it pains me to defend GWB, his use of the word today, in the context in which he used it, whether you agree with the characterization or not, is not incorrect.

        Do I need to haul out the OED? ;-)

        by aitchdee on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 04:54:21 PM PDT

        •  Perhaps you are correct.

          If anyone can spot a coward, it would be GWB.

          He is calling the act cowardly. He is calling the persons murderous extremists (a bit redundant). So, I stand corrected. But I still think there were many sensible opinions stated.

          I doubt that Al Qaeda is concerned, from a tactical perspective, what we think of their tactics. We certainly don't care much about what they think about how we engage the enemy.

          It's a war. Al Qaeda leadership does what they can with what they have.

          Regardless, a life was lost that was the hope of many. A sad day indeed.

          Whoever wrote these three paragraphs for W earned their pay today. Very appropriate.

          "Laura and I extend our deepest condolences to the family of Benazir Bhutto, to her friends, to her supporters. We send our condolences to the families of the others who were killed in today's violence. And we send our condolences to all the people of Pakistan on this tragic occasion.

          The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy. Those who committed this crime must be brought to justice. Mrs. Bhutto served her nation twice as Prime Minister and she knew that her return to Pakistan earlier this year put her life at risk. Yet she refused to allow assassins to dictate the course of her country.

          We stand with the people of Pakistan in their struggle against the forces of terror and extremism. We urge them to honor Benazir Bhutto's memory by continuing with the democratic process for which she so bravely gave her life."

          by SpiffPeters on Thu Dec 27, 2007 at 10:15:13 PM PDT