A terrorist Attack is Violence, #SomeontellKenyans to Apologize to CNN

Why are Kenyans so angry at CNN? .  After a grenade attack on Nairobi Machakos bus station killed at least six people and wounded 63 ,CNN  was on the ground putting the pieces together. They reported the breaking news of the blast with the studio background banner written Violence in Kenya.  Many Kenyans had one interpretation of that and in their minds Kenya was being  portrayed as a country full of violence. To be exact, people fighting and killing each other like it happened back in 2008.

A Kenyangirl captured what made Kenyans mad:

What incensed Kenyans is not so much the content of the clip, but the image flashed to the world in their headlining banner (Courtesy@Switcheeks)

Even Vice President  Kalonzo Musyoka weighed in:

On Twitter #SomeoneTellCNN  hashtag was the the top worldwide  trending  hashtag  for many hours. One Kenyan even called CNN offices to tell them how pissed off he was and recorded the conversation here

At the end, the CNN Kenyan reporter  Mr. David McKenzie was forced Apologize on twitter:

 

Unfortunately, my fellow  Kenyans..I have to tell you that you were wrong and you should apologize to CNN. Before I go to specifics, I have to admit that even me, I was caught on the mix and retweeted a number of tweets which made sense to me.

Ok, let’s start again what did CNN do wrong? They used the word Violence in Kenya.. Now you don’t expect CNN reporting to the international audience to use specific location names like Machakos Country Bus . So I don’t see the problem in them using the word Kenya which definitely would make sense to most of their viewers. Next, is the word Violence….mmmmmh it is the problem .

I checked all the available definitions of the word violence and I don’t see where CNN was wrong in the context they used it.  In the end, I think all of you Kenyans were wrong and it is time to admit that the reactions were due to emotions and historical issues and not specifically what happened on Saturday. What happened in Nairobi was true violence and unless we are trying to change the definition of the word violence..#Apologize

Here are definitions of the word from different sources:

According to dictionary.com

1. swift and intense force: the violence of a storm.

2. rough or injurious physical force, action, or treatment: to die by violence.

3.  an unjust or unwarranted exertion of force or power, asagainst rights or laws: to take over a government by violence.
4. a violent  act or proceeding.
5.  rough or immoderate vehemence, as of feeling or language:the violence of his hatred.

Look at the second definition critically.. read it again..clearly people who died, was because of violence..!!!!

Next: according to merriam-webster.com

a : exertion of physical force so as to injure or abuse (as in warfare effecting illegal entry into a house)
    b : an instance of violent treatment or procedure
: injury by or as if by distortion, infringement, or profanation: outrage
a : intense, turbulent, or furious and often destructive action or force <the violence of the storm>
    b : vehement feeling or expression : fervoralso : an instance of such action or feelingc : a clashing or jarring quality : discordance
4: undue alteration (as of wording or sense in editing a text)

Again from those definitions what happened at the Machakos Bus Station was Violence…

Move to Wikipedia…Violence borrowed from WHO:

Violence is defined by the World Health Organization as the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation.[2] This definition associates intentionality with the committing of the act itself, irrespective of the outcome it produces.

Globally, violence takes the lives of more than 1.5 million people annually: just over 50% due to suicide, some 35% due to homicide, and just over 12% as a direct result of war or some other form of conflict. For each single death due to violence, there are dozens of hospitalizations, hundreds of emergency department visits, and thousands of doctors’ appointments.[3] Furthermore, violence often has life-long consequences for victims’ physical and mental health and social functioning and can slow economic and social development.

Yeah what happened at the Machakos Country Bus was Violence by all accounts…

Oooh and those who think that they should have looked at it in the line of it being terrorists action on the innocent Kenyans, here is the definition of Terrorism:

1. the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce,especially for political purposes.
2.the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism orterrorization.
3. a terroristic method of governing or of resisting agovernment.

And there you have it, you should start a TT for Kenyans to apologize to CNN.

 

Kennedy Kachwanya1087 Posts

--- Kennedy Kachwanya is a technology blogger interested in mobile phones both smart and dumb, mobile apps, mobile money, social media, startups ecosystem and digital Savannah. New media must not forget the strength of old tech.

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