‘Unspeakable,’ ‘Incomparable.’ Why Words Fail to Describe the Las Vegas Shooting

When President Donald Trump responded on Monday to the shooting that took place in Las Vegas the day before, leaving 59 dead and more than 500 wounded, his remarks contained an unavoidable subtext: there are no words that will really do. "We are joined together today in sadness, shock, and grief," he said in his first line from the White House, trying to get closer to the truth by listing one noun after another.