Definition of the day. Ambush. [View all]

[Savannahmann]

Ambush. According to Dictionary.com Ambush is defined as follows.

1. an act or instance of lying concealed so as to attack by surprise:
The highwaymen waited in ambush near the road.

2. an act or instance of attacking unexpectedly from a concealed position.

3.the concealed position itself:
They fired from ambush.

4.those who attack suddenly and unexpectedly from a concealed position.

I mention this because the Police in Fulton County have no idea what this word means, or how to use it. A police officer died last night, shot in the head during an "ambush".

Police responded to a shots fired call early Wednesday. They were told the suspect was possibly intoxicated. Neighbors said the man was going from house to house, banging on doors and firing a long barrel gun.

The suspect then began shooting at the officers, striking one in the head.

Stiles described the situation as an ambush, saying the officers "were trying to do their job, they were trying to protect this neighborhood from someone who was shooting. And they had no other option but to do their job. And the way it appears to me, they were ambushed without warning."

Now, before I get to the meat of my comments, let me begin by saying this. I am sorry the police officer died. I don't want anyone to have their life taken from them, police or citizen. I want everyone to die from extreme old age, having lived full and satisfying lives.

However, this is not an ambush. An ambush would be if someone called the police to report two women wrestling nude in the park and waited in the shadows for the cops to arrive and shot them. A man running around the neighborhood, armed and shooting a weapon, does not make it an ambush. The police had warnings, the reports of the citizens that there was an armed man running around the neighborhood shooting.

My bigger point is that we abuse the language. We change the wording to create impressions that are absolutely inaccurate. Professor Lakoff is famous for attempting to raise our awareness of these events. This is a good, if tragic example of this trend.

When Police use force and a citizen dies, the wording of the reports is reflected to show the officer had no choice in the matter, regardless of what actually happened. When a police officer dies, it is worded in such a way to make it appear that the officer was an innocent victim of a diabolical plot. In this case, it sounds like a lunatic was running around with a gun, and that is always a recipe for disaster. It wasn't a diabolical plot, and it wasn't an ambush by any definition of the word. The police had plenty of warning that the situation was extremely dangerous.

Tragic yes, absolutely, and a devastating event for the family of the fallen officer. However, it was not an ambush. But since the shooting of two officers in New York, any time a cop is killed they're going to use the ambush word. It fit once, that doesn't mean it is going to fit every time.

Our first duty should be to truth. Because only by dealing with the truth, only by acknowledging the truth can we hope to face problems and find solutions. By using a word to describe the event that does not fit the information, the Police are doing a huge disservice to themselves, the fallen officer, and the public. We must deal with things truthfully if we want to end the loss of live, police and civilian. Then one day, with a little luck, my dream of everyone dying of extreme old age satisfied with their lives may become the norm.