Having the opportunity to be around young people all day also provides me the insight into their vocabulary use, and I must comment on the lack of understanding they posses regarding hurtful and hateful words.
Walking through the halls of this school is often accompanied by an assault on my ears. Slut, whore, ho, and bitch are the most popular ‘terms of endearment’ for freshmen girls to hurl at their friends. The boys are much less imaginative and typically call each other fags or gay.
What is going on? Please, if there is one piece of knowledge you transfer to another human being in your life time, let it be that words have impact and meaning. Once a word is spewed by an unknowing, uncaring person, it cannot be reeled back in. It is out there forever, and like the toothpaste you carelessly squeezed, in excess, onto your brush this morning, it cannot be put back.
