Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Words Mean Things

Over my little break from the world, I found myself watching WAY more network news than is healthy. One of the stories was about a creepy guy on an airplane who kept groping a woman against her will.

The newsreaders on the TV were describing it as "inappropriate sexual touching" that caused the plane to be diverted to Pittsburgh. Inappropriate sexual touching sounds like they either caught someone trying to join the mile high club or or doing a solo hand puppet performance. The reality is that a man kept trying to touch and grope a woman (in front of her small child) and refused to stop despite repeated no's and eventual screams from the woman. That is not inappropriate sexual contact, that is attempted rape.

If all I did was watch the TV news, I would have thought that this was a case that was totally blown out of proportion by hyperactive airline crews. But I think an attempted rape on a plane is a damn good reason to land and cart the future rapist off to jail. I think most people would be okay with that, if they knew what the fuck the TV people meant by inappropriate touching.

No comments: