Not “Alleged”
While I’m on the topic of a news media that does a fantastic job of distorting the news, let me just say that Charles Carl Roberts IV is not an “alleged gunman.”
al·leged (É™-lÄ•jd’, É™-lÄ•j’Äd) adj. Represented as existing or as being as described but not so proved; supposed.
alleged. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved October 04, 2006, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/alleged
Charles Carl Roberts IV did not supposedly shoot and kill those Amish girls, and then himself. He did shoot and kill those Amish girls, and then himself.
Let’s see how easy this is. Only one man walked into the schoolhouse carrying a small arsenal with him. Only one man sent out the teachers, male students and any othe males in the building. That left one man with a bunch of guns, and the victims. Do the math.
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HEAR! HEAR!
I think it’s far too silly that the media insist on referring to the guy as the “alleged killer.” He was found inside with the gun and the girls. OK, so we didn’t witness it, but the probability is 100%.
If the media have such a problem identifying this guy as the non-alleged killer (i.e., they didn’t witness it so can’t be absolutely sure), it doesn’t make sense that by contrast they have no qualms accepting so-called stats as absolute fact. hmm. the stats can’t be proven but they’re factual. logic proves this guy was the murderer, but that’s only alleged.
HUH???
Well, first of all, statistics can’t sue for libel. Criminal suspects, and in this case their estates, can.
It *is* grating, but it’s a legalism. Until there is a legal determination by a court that individual X is in fact criminally/civilly responsible for action Y, you cannot state (in print or other public venue) “X did Y.” Not if you’re smart, anyway, because if you do then you are at risk of being responsible for libel or slander. You can only say that “X is suspected of Y,” or “X is the alleged perpetrator of Y.” Even if Y was broadcast live on all three major networks in full color without commercial interruption. Only after a court ruling assigning culpability does X graduate from suspect to criminal in *legal fact*. It’s part of that whole “innocent until proven guilty” thing - and the only entity that can assign guilt is a court of law. Not a reporter, not a cop, not a private citizen - only a court.
Well, I’ll step out on a limb. The fellow’s guilty.
BTW, two New York Times writers have no fear of being right. They’ve come right out and said he killed the students. No “alleged” about it:
article here
GUILTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!