Cases In The News |
On this page, I will not analyze a complete case but I will examine brief statements made by people in the news. |
Herman Cain
In October 2011, Presidential candidate Herman Cain came under fire when two women accused him of sexual harassment. The alleged inappropriate behavior occurred in the mid 1990s while Cain was an executive with the National Restaurant Association. It has been reported that the women accepted a financial settlement which prohibited them from discussing their allegations. Cain has responded to the accusations by stating, "I have never sexually harassed anybody in my life."
The word "harassed" implies that one is continually and repeatedly disturbing someone. It is possible that Cain made one inappropriate remark to these women and then ceased because they told him to stop. This means can honestly state that he has not sexually harassed any body.
On November 7, 2011, another woman came forward and accused Cain of sexually inappropriate conduct. Sharon Bialek stated that she met Cain at a National Restaurant Association event in 1997. While sitting in a parked car with Cain, Bialek stated that Cain "suddenly reached over and he put his hand on my leg under my skirt and reached for my genitals. He also grabbed my head and brought it toward his crotch."
Now that specific allegations have been made, we will have to wait and see how Herman Cain responds. He can no longer give a broad denial but will have to address these particular claims.
Baby Lisa
On October 4, 2011, Jeremy Irwin and his wife Deborah Bradley reported that their 11-month-old baby named Lisa had been taken from their home. Irwin stated that when he came home from work at 4:00 a.m. he found the front door to his residence was unlocked, the lights were on in the house, a window in the front of the house was open and baby Lisa was missing from her crib. The following day the couple appeared on television pleading for the kidnapper to return their daughter. Irwin stated, "Anybody that might have her, they can drop her off anyplace safe, fire station, hospital church, no questions asked."
Jeremy Irwin wants us to believe that someone kidnapped his daughter. However, his language indicates he may not be committed to that idea. We would expect him to say, "Whoever has her." His use of the word "might" means he believes there is a chance that no one has her. If no one has her, then where is baby Lisa?
On October 24, 2011, reporter Bonyen Lee with KCTV5 asked Deborah Bradley if it was true they were getting paid to avoid local reporters. Bradley responded, "No, not at all." When asked why they would not talk to local reporters, Bradley replied, "Because we are grieving."
The word "grieve" can be used when one feels distress for someone else as in "It grieves me to see you so unhappy." However, this word is generally used when one feels sorrow for the death of a loved one. This is especially true when one uses the present progressive tense "grieving." Deborah Bradley's language shows signs that she knows her baby is dead.
Troy Davis
On September 21, 2011, the state of Georgia executed inmate Troy Davis for the 1989 murder of off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail. According to the Huffingtonpost.com, here are Davis's last words:
"I'd like to address the MacPhail family. Let you know, despite the situation you are in, I'm not the one who personally killed your son, your father, your brother. I am innocent. The incident that happened that night is not my fault. I did not have a gun. All I can ask is that you look deeper into this case so that you really can finally see the truth. I ask my family and friends to continue to fight this fight. For those about to take my life, God have mercy on your souls. And may God bless your souls."
Davis did not state "I'm not the one who killed your son." Instead he qualified his statement by saying he did not "personally" kill officer MacPhail. This would indicate he was involved in the officer's death but may not have pulled the trigger. He goes on to say that he is "innocent" which is easy for a guilty person to say. What most guilty people cannot say is, "I didn't do it" which is missing in Davis's statement. Although he is talking about something that happened in past, he uses present tense language with the word "is." He should have said it "was not my fault." It may be that the statement, "it was not my fault" is a lie. Therefore, it is easier for him to forget about the past and state that it, "is not my fault." The statements, "not my fault" and "I did not have a gun" are not denials that he did not kill officer MacPhail.