The Power of Words

The Power of Words

Most of us heard these adages as children: “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.” And “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything.” We knew that words could be powerful and hurtful. And our parents and grandparents taught us to be mindful of what we said.

I was aghast when I watched hundreds of masked White men, all dressed in paramilitary garb and carrying Confederate flags, uniformly marching through Washington D.C. on July 4^th. As they marched, they chanted “Reclaim America. Life, liberty, victory!”  I thought the march was reprehensible.

I was equally appalled when on July 5^th I listened to Doug Burgum, former governor of Nr. Dakota and current Secretary of the Interior in the Trump Administration, during an interview with Dana Bash on CNN. She asked him what he thought of the march. He responded by first dodging the question and talking about free speech being a fundamental right in America. He finally said, “I consider their action irreprehensible.”  I listened more intently, thinking he must have made a mistake with his choice of words, but then he clearly  used “irreprehensible” a second time.

I thought he surely doesn’t know what the word means….or did he use it intentionally, thinking his audience (us) doesn’t know the word?

Irreprehensible – means entirely blameless, faultless, and free from criticism. It describes a person, action or behavior that is beyond reproach and cannot be reasonably censured. The opposite of reprehensible. (Merriam-Webster)

I hope Secretary Burgum is ignorant of the meaning and impact of his word choice. But really, I think I am being naïve. He may as well have repeated the White Nationalist chant in answer to Ms. Bash.

RESIST BIGOTRY

Janet Jeffery – Gold Beach