Words Matter -- Moral Clarity Matters

Best of the Web describes the work of Steven Vincent, a reporter who was murdered in Basra, Iraq, and quotes extensively from an essay printed in last Sunday's NYTimes. His reporting and commentary seem to be exceptional among press reporters for their clarity and understanding of what the war on terrorism is all about. The post includes a great quote from Vincent's writing about the connation of terminology such as "insurgents" and "guerillas" for the terrorists.

Supporters of the conflict in Iraq bear much blame for allowing the terminology--and, by extension, the narrative--of events to slip from our grasp and into the hands of the anti-war camp. Words and ideas matter. Instead of saying that the Coalition "invaded" Iraq and "occupies" it today, we could more precisely claim that the allies liberated the country and are currently reconstructing it. More than cosmetic changes, these definitions reflect the nobility of our effort in Iraq, and steal rhetorical ammunition from the left.

The most despicable misuse of terminology, however, occurs when Leftists call the Saddamites and foreign jihadists "the resistance" What an example of moral inversion! For the fact is, paramilitary death squads are attacking the Iraqi people. And those who oppose the killers--the Iraqi police and National Guardsmen, members of the Allawi government, people like Nour--they are the "resistance." They are preventing Islamofascists from seizing Iraq, they are resisting evil men from turning the entire nation into a mass slaughterhouse like we saw in re-liberated Falluja. Anyone who cares about success in our struggle against Islamofascism, or upholds principles of moral clarity and lucid thought--should combat such Orwellian distortions of our language.

Read the whole thing. It is a scathing indictment of the media who refuse to use the word "terrorists" which they justify with the inanity, "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." Does anybody in his right mind really believe that bin Laden, Zarqawi, the Baathists, Syria, Iran or the Taliban are dedicated to freedom? Vincent's writings deserve to be famous, and discussed. This quotation in particular deserves to be repeated everywhere. It's an instant classic. Vincent's death should be mourned along with the death of Michael Kelly. People with this clarity of mind and prose are too few in the world, and the loss of two such writers is tragic.