I'm not saying others haven't plagiarized. It's a real problem. And i do make the distinction between "hi mom" and the definition, which is passing off another's work or ideas as one's own. Melania plagiarized. Fact. Biden plagiarized. Fact. Almost every one of these people plagiarizes. But one can not defend Melania's speech on the grounds that everyone does it. That's all I'm saying-I'm not taking sides. But please don't diminish what she did by saying others engaged in "real" plagiarism. Hers was just as real.
Well, no: that's a cliche, and everyone knows it's offered in that spirit. When one gives a speech and claims it as her own, but takes large chunks of it from another, that's a wholly different thing.
