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Is it my imagination or are journalists lately attempting to use "passed" as a euphemism for "died?"
I've read about traffic accidents where it's reported that 3 people "passed" after a truck hit their car. A fire breaking out in an apartment resulted in an eldery parent "passing".
For years I've endured reading about someone being "fatally wounded" by a burglar, instead of being killed. This latest trend seems way over the top. What are we becoming? A feel-good optimistic society just talking in some sort of code to make all news seem like what, very good nice happy news?
Is it my imagination or are journalists lately attempting to use "passed" as a euphemism for "died?"
I've read about traffic accidents where it's reported that 3 people "passed" after a truck hit their car. A fire breaking out in an apartment resulted in an eldery parent "passing".
For years I've endured reading about someone being "fatally wounded" by a burglar, instead of being killed. This latest trend seems way over the top. What are we becoming? A feel-good optimistic society just talking in some sort of code to make all news seem like what, very good nice happy news?
1) The use of 'died' and 'pass on' that you happen to notice is highly unlikely to be a sample size sufficient from which to draw any conclusions.
2) What on Earth sort of news are you watching where you come away with the impression that news organizations are striving to make everything seem like 'very good nice happy news'? Because that description applies to pretty much no national news outlet.
1) The use of 'died' and 'pass on' that you happen to notice is highly unlikely to be a sample size sufficient from which to draw any conclusions.
2) What on Earth sort of news are you watching where you come away with the impression that news organizations are striving to make everything seem like 'very good nice happy news'? Because that description applies to pretty much no national news outlet.
1) no conclusions, just speculation, having seen it enough that it's noticeable to me. I'm guessing I've seen it maybe 4 or 5 times in the last two months. This is fairly useless information if you don't know how much I read. I don't know how to quantify it any more than that, sadly.
2) I've noticed it in local Ontario news but not exclusively. Agreed about optimism not being the thrust of news agencies.
Is it my imagination or are journalists lately attempting to use "passed" as a euphemism for "died?"
I've read about traffic accidents where it's reported that 3 people "passed" after a truck hit their car. A fire breaking out in an apartment resulted in an eldery parent "passing".
For years I've endured reading about someone being "fatally wounded" by a burglar, instead of being killed. This latest trend seems way over the top. What are we becoming? A feel-good optimistic society just talking in some sort of code to make all news seem like what, very good nice happy news?
You are reacting based partly upon your personal bias. For people who have strong belief in an afterlife, "passed" may better reflect their understanding and attitude. Like it or not, there is a rise of the Christian right in media.
As examples of how culture impacts the way events are framed, consider the following:
In India, one of the effects of British colonialism was the repression of suttie. Suttie is a cultural word for the death of a woman who intentionally throws herself on the funeral pyre of her husband to be with him. It was an accepted practice, to the extent that women who did so did not so much commit suttie, but WERE suttie. Wives who didn't do this were not held in as high an esteem.
When an execution of a criminal is performed, it is in fact, a premeditated first degree murder by the government. It is called an execution to lend legitimacy. When the inevitable innocent man is swept up by the system and killed, it is much more properly a murder than an execution.
Pets are "put to sleep" or euthanized rather than being killed or executed. As society has grown away from agricultural roots and the intimate knowledge of death, laws now consider a pet owner humanely dispatching their own pet at home a form of animal abuse, when it is perfectly acceptable to transport the pet to a vet and have the task performed there.
The term "passed away" certainly precedes my lifetime, and has been in common useage in a lot of newspapers and media for all those years, often to indicate a death by natural causes after an illness, as opposed to a death by an accident, such as electrocution. The examples you cite show the general ignorance of language nuances that is increasingly common as editors are eliminated in cost-cutting measures.
I wonder if "passed away" comes from "passed over" (to heaven)...
I generally hear "passed away" in ordinary conversation, perhaps out of consideration to the family by avoiding the use of the "D" word.
In the news I can't recall hearing the expression "passed away" or "passed." I generally hear "dead" or "fatalities."
Not that this is a political discussion forum area, but sometimes we have to execute criminals because of the high expectancy they may kill more people, and that one dead is better than many dead. There is also the contrary issue that apparently it is more expensive to execute a convict than to imprison them for life. And also, there is legitimate disagreement as to the efficacy of a death penalty in motivating people to not do the crime. In any case it appears to me that the death penalty is becoming less common in most US states.
One thing for sure though, the death penalty is a sure cure for recidivism.
The situation is that humans are just unstable, some more than others. Some people in certain situations will commit the capital crime no matter what the consequences, even if it means certain death for themselves. Having a death penalty does nothing to prevent those crimes. In short, we will always have intentional homicide. The only question is what we will do about it.
I predict that if the current trend continues we will effectively have no executions in a few more decades in US, even if the possibility remains on the books.
You are reacting based partly upon your personal bias. For people who have strong belief in an afterlife, "passed" may better reflect their understanding and attitude. Like it or not, there is a rise of the Christian right in media.
As examples of how culture impacts the way events are framed, consider the following:
In India, one of the effects of British colonialism was the repression of suttie. Suttie is a cultural word for the death of a woman who intentionally throws herself on the funeral pyre of her husband to be with him. It was an accepted practice, to the extent that women who did so did not so much commit suttie, but WERE suttie. Wives who didn't do this were not held in as high an esteem.
When an execution of a criminal is performed, it is in fact, a premeditated first degree murder by the government. It is called an execution to lend legitimacy. When the inevitable innocent man is swept up by the system and killed, it is much more properly a murder than an execution.
Pets are "put to sleep" or euthanized rather than being killed or executed. As society has grown away from agricultural roots and the intimate knowledge of death, laws now consider a pet owner humanely dispatching their own pet at home a form of animal abuse, when it is perfectly acceptable to transport the pet to a vet and have the task performed there.
The term "passed away" certainly precedes my lifetime, and has been in common useage in a lot of newspapers and media for all those years, often to indicate a death by natural causes after an illness, as opposed to a death by an accident, such as electrocution. The examples you cite show the general ignorance of language nuances that is increasingly common as editors are eliminated in cost-cutting measures.
Thank you, Harry. The bolded paragraph is exactly what I'm talking about. You've given some great example of other ways we dress things up and I can deal with those. This one always strikes a nerve and sometimes sounds almost amusing. Yes, it's sad that editors are being replaced.
I wonder if "passed away" comes from "passed over" (to heaven)...
I generally hear "passed away" in ordinary conversation, perhaps out of consideration to the family by avoiding the use of the "D" word.
In the news I can't recall hearing the expression "passed away" or "passed." I generally hear "dead" or "fatalities."
Not that this is a political discussion forum area, but sometimes we have to execute criminals because of the high expectancy they may kill more people, and that one dead is better than many dead. There is also the contrary issue that apparently it is more expensive to execute a convict than to imprison them for life. And also, there is legitimate disagreement as to the efficacy of a death penalty in motivating people to not do the crime. In any case it appears to me that the death penalty is becoming less common in most US states.
One thing for sure though, the death penalty is a sure cure for recidivism.
The situation is that humans are just unstable, some more than others. Some people in certain situations will commit the capital crime no matter what the consequences, even if it means certain death for themselves. Having a death penalty does nothing to prevent those crimes. In short, we will always have intentional homicide. The only question is what we will do about it.
I predict that if the current trend continues we will effectively have no executions in a few more decades in US, even if the possibility remains on the books.
Yup. Passed is part of a lot of old euphemisms for dead. Passed over the veil. Passed on to Glory. In older times, "passed" was mostly a part of a phrase intended to give comfort to the grieving, a hope for a brighter eternity in the next life than the one that existed in their present life.
A lot of the phrases were much longer; "I'll see you walking the golden stairs brother, and will be waiting for you."
Even Hell was contemplated at length. Criminals would say "I'll see you in the Hot Place." "The Devil is making another pitchfork for you."
Anything that could bring acceptance to a death that was coming soon and could not be altered or avoided. "Leaving a handsome corpse." was something that was taken very literally. No one wanted to be seen in disarray or as if they had suffered mightily if they could help it.
Passed away or passed on became an abbreviation, and then just passed. An abbreviated abbreviation.
The old words also gave comfort to the dying, when dying commonly took longer and the dying person was conscious, often right to the end. The hopeful phrases were a way for the dying to compose themselves as best they could and to find acceptance for the inevitable.
A departure from life that was orderly, composed and peaceful. Since great pain and distress were mostly a part of the deal, it is understandable why anything that could help the dying gain some composure at the end was so important.
Is it my imagination or are journalists lately attempting to use "passed" as a euphemism for "died?"
I've read about traffic accidents where it's reported that 3 people "passed" after a truck hit their car. A fire breaking out in an apartment resulted in an eldery parent "passing".
For years I've endured reading about someone being "fatally wounded" by a burglar, instead of being killed. This latest trend seems way over the top. What are we becoming? A feel-good optimistic society just talking in some sort of code to make all news seem like what, very good nice happy news?
It's a good idea to keep your eyes on the road when passing a traffic accident, or you might find yourself fatally wounded a few hundred yards down the road in another traffic accident.
SRSLY, there's a natural curiosity to look over at a traffic accident to see if you can see blood. I've successfully disciplined myself to increase my attention to surrounding traffic when passing an accident, because I know some other drivers' attention will be distracted in looking for blood and gore at the accident. The best place for the next traffic accident is just past the first one.
It's human nature to look. If you see blood you think thank God that's not me!
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and I can deal with those. This one always strikes a nerve and sometimes sounds almost amusing. Yes, it's sad that editors are being replaced.
