Musings for Friday - Abducting/Kidnapping ≠ Deportation. It Does = Depopulation and War Crimes

Of all people, the press should understand word definitions.

Story after story after story tell us what’s going on in Ukraine. The death and destruction of a country and society. The killing of civilians including seniors, women and children. The reporters have called it indiscriminate. Wrong! It’s intentional. And a war crime. But there’s another story they just barely cover, almost an afterthought at the end of their “report.”

When they report the depopulation of Mariupol, you may hear them report something to the effect that there are reports of Russia deporting Ukrainians to Russia. That’s usually it. A mention.

Last night while watching The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell he had Cal Perry doing a stand up about Ukraine. Cal did his usual reporting and as noted above, at the end of his story he told of the reports of deportation. That was it. 

I sent the following tweet;

@CalNBC
Please stop calling Russia's kidnapping/abducting of Ukrainian citizens deportation.
They are not being deported!
They are civilians being taken captive by Russian forces. Removed from their home country at gunpoint.
THAT IS NOT DEPORTATION!

— Tony Gattis 😷🇺🇦 (@TexDem_Dkos) March 25, 2022

In the next hour’s show The 11th Hour, Perry was there again. This time he used the word kidnapping. But he paired it with deportation. Then he said that’s what the Ukrainian government was calling it.
 

Was he responding to my tweet? Who knows? Maybe, but why blame a Ukrainian spokesperson for using a wrong word? Cal is an educated person and a native English speaking person. He knows the difference in the meaning of the words. Or should. Do better Cal.

Words matter.