There was a childhood rhyme that used to be bandied about …
Sticks and stones may break my bones, But words will never harm me.
You don’t hear it much anymore, because we know better. Words can and do harm us. Ask any kid being bullied in the schoolyard or on the internet.
Hate speech is a crime for a reason.
Words are powerful. Has there been a revolution ever that didn’t start with words?
Words are tricky. Not only do their meanings change over time, but context and tone come in to play too. Who uses a particular word, and how they use it, makes a difference.
How then do we judge which words are dangerous? Off the top of my head …
Think — less than.
Any word, or group of words, that label a particular subsection of humanity as less than — those are the words that should never be heard.
I apologize for the preachy tone of this post, but …
I heard a man speak Thursday night, a Holocaust survivor. He ended his presentation by saying:
It starts with words …
AimerBoyz 
Some gay men use the f-word (the six-letter one) and “queer” as a point of pride. But, having grown up in the 1950s, those words will always be hateful for me, and I don’t want to hear them in any context. Yes, I know…. the world has passed me by.
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I just turned 63, and like you, I’ve seen words being reclaimed, changed. Although I wouldn’t use most of them myself, I get that some are not as offensive as they used to be…some still make me cringe 🙂
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You weren’t preachy at all. It’s a very valid, important reminder!!!! Thank You. ❤️
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Oh, good. Thanks, I hate preachy 🙂
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💖
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I agree with Forresting. This post is not preachy at all. It is an important reminder — one that our world needs to hear again and again and again!
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Thanks 🙂
We do keep repeating the same mistakes, don’t we?
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After hearing Trump ridicule a victim of sexual assault, I am disgusted at his words and hoping voters will turn out in droves next month to throw out as many of his pals as possible.
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That’s what we’re hoping for up here 🙂
Trump makes democracy look like a bad idea 😦
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