Im a little late on this one but yeah, I think it is a bit inaccurate. I tend to think a "homicide bomber" would be one that doesn't die along with the explosion of his device. But still, its just a little thing that Fox News does that gets on my nerves. The more important thing I was trying to say, that other people have touched on since, is that this news report is just one more little thing thats supposed to make the average Joe terrified of everything and anything in the outside world. You yourself have admitted that guys carrying stuff in their trunks and driving alone unnerves you, and, although I mean no offence to you, that saddens me a little. I mean, lets face it, the chances of dying in a terrorist attack in North America are pretty damn low. Im all for due dilligence to keep public safety, but there's no point in living your life afraid of all the other people around you. At the very least, buying into the fear like that just gives terrorists, and anyone else hoping to manipulate you, exactly what they want. TL;DR Fox News is ridiculous, this news article is ridiculous.
Agreed. 'Homicide bomber' is redundant. A bomb is usually intended to kill others, which kinda covers the homicide part. With a suicide bomber, the fact that the guy (or fake pregnant woman) blew himself up is what sets it apart.
I definitely see what you're saying. But on the flip side, you could argue that going by the wording, a suicide bomber just blows himself up without hurting anyone else. I guess my view is that either-or is technically linguistically accurate. Yeah, it's a Fox News word game. No doubt about that. And suicide bomber is probably more appropriate, if only because it's in the common lexicon. And the car thing is 'cause of being overseas--an older car with a single occupant riding low to the ground was the profile for a car bomber, or VBIED for Army-acronym fun. Saw maybe a half-dozen of 'em, so there are definitely times I catch myself eyeing similar cars here, even if I know consciously that there is virtually no chance it's a real threat. But I was definitely being sarcastic about worrying over pregnant women in public.
So if this was a post from CNN, then it wouldn't be about making us terrified of anything and everything.
No, no, it'd be all about how I should be grieving for Heath Ledger. 'Cause you know, that's what's important.
