The Pen and the Sword
Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me - true or false? Words have great power, as Edward Bulwer-Lytton paraphrased a proverb from scripture,"the pen is mightier than the sword". Words nurture and comfort us. We allow words to inform and educate us. They also cause us to think good and bad thoughts about ourselves and others; they can tear us down or build us up. Words establish nations and empires and bring them great power. They can also set us against each other, brother against brother, nation against nation. Words have power to form our conscience and guide our actions. Should we all assume responsibility for controlling our words so that we cause more good than harm? It would seem to be a reasonable thing to do if we can agree that it is beneficial to all. However, in a culture where good and bad are subjective and there is no source of validation outside the realm of the individual we find ourselves in a most unstable position. The postmode...