Sky News ran a poll today:
Should the Dale Farm travellers be forcefully evicted?
The results were perhaps unsurprising: 92% Yes, 8% No.
What I found more interesting was the wording of the question. Most coverage of this story has talked about "forcible" evictions. According to an online dictionary, forcible means "done or effected by force: forcible entry into a house" while forceful means "full of force; powerful; vigorous; effective". To me, forceful implies a degree of force beyond that which is strictly necessary to achieve the goal. I wonder whether Sky's choice of word was accidental or deliberate - and whether the 92% of respondents were actually enthused by the idea of police and bailiffs going just a bit too far.
Of course, the more obvious semantic question about the whole story is why these people label themselves travellers but want to stay put. Unfortunately I'm about the two millionth person to pose the question and no one has yet managed to answer it.
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