# Attack in Paris **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 7, 2015, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-in-paris/709233 "2015-01-07T16:35:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-in-paris/709233/41 "2015-01-09T22:18:52Z")
> [@Bones\_Daley](#): > > The current penchant of the media for using the word “executed” instead of “murdered” is to be deplored. It is not so novel to use a phrase such as “the prisoners were executed” when describing, for instance, a war crime. And there is a pattern in crime reporting of using the phrase “the victims were shot execution-style” to describe that it was done in cold blood with a non-resisting or restrained victim. So with time and loose application its common usage drifts into describing _any_ killing done against someone who has been rendered helpless or captured, regardless of legality(\*). Things like that happen with language. Same with “claim responsibility”; as mentioned, anyone and his brother in law can call and say they were behind a crime. When some people object to any word or phrase other than murder/guilt being used, they feel that it’s a euphemism or somehow it grants the criminals an undeserved dignity. Reminds me some years ago Fox News/NewsCorp tried to do away with the phrase “suicide bomber/bombing” and replace it with “homicide bomber/bombing”. They felt that it was improper to make the death of the bomber the defining characteristic of the incident; but of course the deal is _that is_ what makes \*that \*kind of attack distinctive from other bombings that kill people. Didn’t catch up with anyone else. (\*And remember that in much of the Western world there is no such thing as a lawful execution any more) ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-in-paris/709233/42 "2015-01-10T00:28:45Z")
**ENOUGH!** If anyone has a desperate need to argue over language, take it to a new thread. It serves no purpose in this thread and was better suited to the sort of Recreational Outrage often found in The BBQ Pit these days. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-in-paris/709233/43 "2015-01-10T10:18:50Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Well, that’s a relief. Sort of. Poor hostages. ☹ The hostages were all killed before the police rescue action. No hostages were harmed in the rescue and all four terrorists eliminated. Pretty good police work. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-in-paris/709233/44 "2015-01-10T14:38:32Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > The hostages were all killed before the police rescue action. No hostages were harmed in the rescue and all four terrorists eliminated. Pretty good police work. Does anyone have a link to a decent story of how it went down? I just have pictures on CNN and blubbering, confused announcers on NPR. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-in-paris/709233/45 "2015-01-10T15:27:22Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Does anyone have a link to a decent story of how it went down? I just have pictures on CNN and blubbering, confused announcers on NPR. Yeah, all the U.S. sources I’ve read have haphazard out-of-order facts interspersed with “how do I explain this to my five-year-old?” Is this how they teach them to write news in journalism school? I’d love to find an article that tells me what happened, and when it happened, and saves the editorials for the editorial section. ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-in-paris/709233/46 "2015-01-10T16:43:19Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > The hostages were all killed before the police rescue action. No hostages were harmed in the rescue and all four terrorists eliminated. Pretty good police work. You mean three? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-in-paris/709233/47 "2015-01-10T16:45:30Z")
The[BBC’s coverage](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30759008) looks good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attack-in-paris/709233.md?page=2)