Word Wars

A word can become a compacted doctrine.

-- William Empson, The Structure of Complex Words (1951)

We have earlier noticed how substantive issues can be disguised as a wrestling over

     Terminological land-grab

     The Semantics of l’affaire DSK

Now there has been another terminological volley in the never-ending abortion-wars.  This one, the “personhood” movement.  You can read all about it on the front page of this morning’s “Outlook” section of the Washington Post, in an article titled “Pro-life’s new tactic:  Redefine a ‘person’”, or read it (clumsily re-titled) online:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-an-anti-abortion-push-to-redefine-person-could-wind-up-hurting-women/2011/10/26/gIQAQSwGQM_story.html?hpid=z2