FERGUSON

[Hoopington]

[quote='Hoopington' pid='809103' dateline='1417618041']
A pretty powerful message here:
...

I really am disturbed that anyone even photoshoped this sign at all to read like the altered version did. Making jokes like this is like dancing on someone's grave. Even if you believe Wilson acted correctly or was justified, at the very least the death of Michael Brown should be a tragedy.

Really? I'm far more disturbed that anyone would think any subject beyond comedy and humour.

I imagine your house is a whole lot of fun.

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Tragedy is a bit of a strong word isn't it? I don't know what he was like but you don't really get the impression that he was a very nice man, at least, not from this photo.

Technically, "tragedy" does not require that the person who either suffers from or causes the bad events was nice or innocent. Quite the contrary, actually. The very word means it was caused by human failing.

For example, if someone walks outside and is struck by lightning (due to an random event of nature, not some punishment by any god) and dies, that is NOT a tragedy. There was no human action which caused the bad event and there was no way the man could possibly have foreseen the consequences to walking outside at that moment. Some people might call it "a tragedy" that but that is a misuse of the word.

"Tragedy" is where the bad event was avoidable and caused by human factors. If someone walks outside while drunk, gets in a car and kills himself when he drives it off a cliff because of his intoxication, that IS a tragedy. Similarly, if he were to kill someone else because of his actions, driving while drunk, that would also be a "tragedy".

Michael Brown, whatever you may think of him personally, did not need to die that day. Therefore, his death was a "tragedy" in the proper use of the word. The only debate is who's fault you think it was. Was it his human failings or the police officer's or both?

I was going to question your assertion that this bloke's death was a "tragedy," but we're ahead of the game. Just peachy.

I'm afraid to say, your definition is just wrong. Please show me one definition that specifies a tragedy has to be "caused by human factors." Maybe you're confusing the Shakespearean, so no doubt human made, "tragedy" with the type that usually means death and/or destruction. I don't know.

A Tsunami or Earthquake killing untold numbers wouldn't qualify?

No offence intended, but that is absolute rubbish.