weapons of mass destruction

[Baker, John]

The statute in question, 18 U.S.C. 2332a, was passed in 1994 as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.   I don't know why it uses the term "weapons of mass destruction," but it's obviously inappropriate.

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Saturday, April 27, 2013 12:43 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: weapons of mass destruction

But seriously, Fred found an isolated ex. from 1937, with occasional but steadily increasing usage from 1945.

It unequivocally referred to enormously destructive weapons - flames, big bombs, and poison gas in 1937, with the addition of bigger bombs and biological agents after the war.

Question: When was the current federal statute passed (post 9/11?) and, more importantly, why does it use this phrase instead of something more obviously appropriate, like (e.g.) "explosive or otherwise destructive weapon or device"? After all, the list of possibilities provided is as close to exhaustive as the legislative mind could imagine.

Seems like them Congressmen were setting themselves up to look like jerks.
Of course we know that's impossible.

JL


On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 8:23 PM, Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: weapons of mass destruction
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
>
> Gag! Good call!
>
> Some day I'll be as old as you and remember things...
>
>      VS-)
>
> On 4/23/2013 7:15 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > So Saddam Hussein did have WMDs!
> >
> > Lots of 'em!
> >
> > BTW, you mean "Vic Morrow."
> >
> > JL
> >
> >
> > On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 7:02 PM, Victor Steinbok
> ><aardvark66 at gmail.com wrot=
> > e:
> >
> > ...
> >   And, as Victor Mature might attest (had he survived), pyrotechnics
> > can kill just like the real thing...
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



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