Power in Words

    The other day in class the phrase "douche bag" came up in conversation and we shortly discussed the meanings behind it and the power that it holds.  Being the daughter of a librarian and a teacher, words have always been a very powerful tool to me.  Words can be used in a number of ways, but sometimes we don't think about how these words come across to others.  The kaleidoscope metaphor is perfect for breaking down the usage of words; someone's personal patterns and possibilities make all the difference in how they will interpret words.  Everything from someone's generation, education, background, race, ethnicity, sexuality, economic status...etc. all have a chance to change the way we understand the words people use.
    There is a group on Facebook called Guerrilla Feminism that is a place to post all kinds of feminist photos, images, messages and news.  The idea is to create awareness and to encourage communication between people about these issues.  The other day I saw this image posted on the Guerrilla Feminism page:

 

    While this image , and does, refer to many things, I immediately looked at the word "slut" and thought about the power behind it.  There are many words in the English language that have cruel, hurtful and demeaning connotations.  The origins of these words differ, but many of them come from things that aren't negative at all.  Pussy, gay, cunt, dick, twat, bitch, fag...just to name a few.  

    Alone, words have immense power.  But, they have even more power in the ways in which we choose to use them.  We have the power to make words hurtful.  We also have the power to talk about these words and ask people not to use them.  This is one small way that we can make a difference in our world; we can call people out on these words and challenge them to make sure that they understand what they're saying.  I have caught myself using words that after I thought about it, are never appropriate, and that if I heard someone use them, I'd quite possibly be offended. 

    I guess it all comes down to the old Golden Rule: treat others how you'd want to be treated.  If you find any negative words or phrases offensive, chances are that many other people will too.  There are millions of alternative words in the English language, we just have to get creative.  Name-calling has never solved problems, and it never will.  We simply have to rise above that and use our words to communicate and educate others.  As Thumper in the Disney movie "Bambie" said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."