Words can be powerful. Not because they themselves hold power but because of the power we give them. When we use words no matter what they be in a derogatory manner towards individuals or groups of people based on race, intellectual ability, religion, or any other broadly stereotypical manner we can cause pain. We can also cause joy by using words to lift others up.
Occasionally we all say the wrong thing or have a slip of the tongue usually due to what we have heard growing up. Words should never be used to hurt others where possible and the we should always strive to be careful what we say, but we must also strive not to be hypocritical about what we believe.
Words also can be used for their shock value. Below is a PSA I recently viewed on television, though I do applaud them for trying to be kind to disabled individuals. This has brought up some other issues such as having many children who may not yet have heard such words to hear them and have to explain that they are not acceptable words. Please forgive my language but why not just say Fuck on national television? Again I like the message on face value but not in how it was delivered. I have looked through youtube and seen many different commercials for the same cause and I think that they did it much more eloquently.
More will follow in future posts regarding the power of words in many different ways.
Words can deliver a lot of power, for good or bad. I'm 'Gaffe' prone as Prince Philip is, a brilliant knack of saying just the wrong thing at just the wrong moment!
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