It is interesting that the law makes a distinction that is not apparent in the dictionary. My understanding of extortion was based on the Latin roots, ex (out) and torquere (to twist). Black mail, etymologically speaking, goes back to Old English “mal” which meant “tribute” or “payment,” and even earlier to Old Norse, meaning “agreement,” from the tribute extorted by bandits and pirates from Scottish and English farmers for protection against pillage. “Black mail” was paid in such form as cattle, and “white mail” in silver.

But I guess according to the law, modern “bandits” such as the Mafia taking money from restaurants in New York for “protection” against pillage would not be black mail, but extortion, and so would carry a lesser penalty.

The dictionary does add one component to extortion, however, that may or may not be a legal consideration. It adds to the obtaining of money by threats, force, abuse of authority or other type of oppression – “esp. as done by a public official.”

So this brings me to another question. Would you say that making the environment seem more threatening than it actually is in order to get appropriations for things, or to frighten the populace so much that they willingly give up not only money but go to war and risk their lives overseas while the ones they leave behind give up the very freedoms which, nominally, they’d sacrificed themselves to defend, extortion?

And what about torture? It comes from the same Latin root?

Law and language. Maybe they can work together to get it right! But back to Letterman, I liked the way David Letterman handled the situation. As I understand it, he came out and admitted his indiscretions. Whether he did so for “good” reasons or “bad,” I see that as the best defense against extortion, other than leading a good, clean, honest life in the first place . That, and having a lawyer who is willing to defend one against those misusing big sticks or trying to benefit from another’s errors when the ones that should benefit and wouldn’t are the family members and loved ones of the one who erred.