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Peter_Plato
Guest
Whether it is “there” or not is debatable.
Nicholson’s words, you say, are thirty years old. Do you have any indication that someone, anyone, took him to task for those words? Did anyone criticize him, or were all of his would-be critics – everyone who heard him say what he said – “silenced” by his passion and forthrightness?
If you can’t dig up any of his hearers who spoke or wrote against what he had to say, then Nicholson’s response did, indeed, “silence” everyone. At least, they have been silent about what he said for thirty years.
Granted that “everyone” is using hyperbole, but when in journalism do writers and editors ever NOT use hyperbole? “Everyone” does, n’est-ce pas?
On the other hand, perhaps you are trying to reform journalism with your apparent quest to only permit words to be used literally. So, since “everyone” (virtually) has continued to talk using their vocal cords, then I suppose his words, effectively, silenced no one.