February 22, 2025- “YOU are at fault for HIM making a mess of things”, yelled the distraught woman at the well-dressed, composed vendor, who had simply said she wanted to make the best of the next four years. The ranter was furious about the wholesale cutbacks in Federal agencies’ staffs and was seemingly looking for the low hanging fruit to target . The word weaponize was thrown at the hapless vendor.

“Weaponize” is yet another word that has become thoroughly worn out. Right and Left toss the word at one another with fair abandon. So, it seems relevant to look at what the word actually means. From Oxford, we learn that: weaponized /ˈwepəˌnīzd/ is an adjective: weaponized; adjective: weaponised exploited for the purpose of attacking a person or group, or for spreading discord.”our courts have been used as a tool for weaponized litigation” ; adapted for use as a weapon.”a weaponized robot”.

There being seemingly nothing that can’t be put to use for hurting one’s perceived enemies, it’s a wonder anything is left standing! The reality is that such hyperbole is intended, like so much else in the land of over-the-top, for shock value. We, the people, are no longer shocked. Nothing comes to pass that is so unexpected as to leave very many folks speechless. Even Elon Musk’s announcement that the entire Federal work force must prove to him that they are worthy of continued employment is drawing yawns from a good many. Any would-be dictator in this country will likely experience being ignored by the masses, after about a month in power.

The reason is simple: Overuse of any word, phrase or practice leads to it being part of the woodwork. This is not just true of the United States. The Caesars found they had run out of useful threats, shortly after the death of Christ. Killing a Messenger of God having failed to instill as much fear in those subjects living in Spain or Britain as it did, momentarily, in Judea and Samaria, the tyrants needed to employ ever more outlandish ruses-until they ran out of ideas. Then, the Germanic tribes took over, and actually imposed rule of law-of sorts. The common folk just went about their business, as common folk are wont to do.

“Weaponize” conjures a two-edged sword, and so often, the edge that is pointed at the masses is the one that gets dull first.