Audio By Carbonatix
As well all know, words have a great deal of power — and if one strikes someone as wrong, it can have an outsized impact on those that follow. This truism is exemplified by a post affixed to the story of a 53-day landfill search for the body of Sharrieckia Page’s baby — one we characterized in a headline as “amazing.” Not so, feels the reader.
Sarah writes:
The choice of adjective in the headline here is disrespectful.Circus trains are “amazing.”
Skiers outrunning impending avalanches are “amazing.”
53-day searches for the corpse of an infant are “exhaustive,” or “meticulous,” or “painstaking.” They are not “amazing.” There is nothing “amazing” about this story. Everything about this is painful and sad.
Follow and like the Michael Roberts/Westword Facebook page.
This year, make your gift count –
Invest in local news that matters.
Our work is funded by readers like you who make voluntary gifts because they value our work and want to see it continue. Make a contribution today to help us reach our $50,000 goal!
For more memorable takes, visit our Comment of the Day archive.
