The Spread of Abuse

It's funny how abuse has spread in my lifetime. Not the thing, just the word, "abuse." When I was a kid, we just didn't use the word the way we do now. There was no drug abuse, no sex abuse, no wife abuse, no verbal abuse. There was drug addiction, molestation, wife-beating, and insults. The thing about "abuse" is that it's so damned vague. If you "beat" your wife, well, I have a pretty good idea what you're doing. If you "abuse" your wife, well, I have hardly any idea. It can range anywhere from mild mistreatment to horrible battery and rape.

Koran abuse is the newest version. What's funny is that I don't recall the press adopting the phrase "American Flag Abuse" when protestors - here or abroad - burned it and trampled it. No. It was "Free Expression."

Treat the flag
Like a rag,
And it's just fair use.

But drop the Koran
In the can,
And that's abuse.

I wouldn't do either. But the media double-standard drives me crazy. And, most of all, I hate to see "abuse" creep into one more area of public discussion!