A CBS News pundit is trying to redefine the meaning of a common word that's existed for years in an effort to defend violent looters, rioters, and arsonists.
CBS News pundit and New York Times magazine author Ida Bae Wells describes herself as "the Beyonce of journalism" and "thuggish but smart". But apparently she's not smart enough to know the definition of basic words.
While defending the actions of the looters and rioters, she said property destruction is not violent because you can't be violent to inanimate object (video below). As she makes the inaccurate remark, the CBS News hosts nod their heads like thirsty birds.
She's wrong, of course, because we don't get to decide the meaning of words that have exited for years. The exact definition of the word "violence", according to every dictionary we consulted, is "behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something."
Did you catch the last line in that sentence? "Something". Something is not "Someone". It's literally a thing, not a person.
This begs another questions: how does someone get a job at the New York Times and CBS News without understanding the meaning of basic common words that we generally learn while attending elementary school?
Ida Bae Wells, bless your simple heart.