Figures of Speech Served Fresh

Quote:  "No one doubts that the press should be free to satirize. But freedom of the press cannot excuse the promotion of noxious stereotypes." Reza Aslan in Slate.

Figure of Speech:  paromologia (pa ro mo LOW gia), the sacrificed pawn of rhetoric.

Danish newspapers publish nasty cartoons of Prophet Mohammed, one replacing his turban with a bomb. Furious at this stereotype of the violent Muslim, some of the faithful respond with ... violence.

Writer Reza Aslan, a Muslim herself, offers a more effective rebuttal to the newspapers:  Shame on them.  She does it with a paromologia (Greek for "agree with"), a figure that concedes a point in order to make a stronger one. It's a close relative of concessio.

Snappy Answer:  "You're right.  But anger doesn't excuse acting like a stereotype."