Do your words cut deep?

Bitch, faggot, nigger: Words cut deep
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” This is the greatest lie that I have ever heard, and any human being could ever tell. Words cut deeper than a knife with salt tearing into your flesh.
There are words that are thrown around like they have no meaning at all.
Words that mean nothing:
bitch, faggot, and nigga.
The truth is, mankind has made words that are X-rated, acceptable to society’s standards. What troubles me most is our campus has sunk to the negative levels of the world.
“My bitch is BAD.” “My main bitch.” versus “You’re a bitch.”
Is there a difference in what you are saying? This word is a crazy double standard. When a female is referred to as a bitch it is deemed acceptable as long as there is a “Bad” attached to it or it is used as a term of endearment. It is also more acceptable if a female calls a female this but not if a male says it.
Truth is, not one human being is capable of being a female dog, so it is not appropriate for anyone to be referred to as one. It is not a compliment, nor is it a term of endearment. It is an insult when a male says it to another male, when a male says it to a female, and it needs to always be considered an insult when it is used female to female. It is disrespectful.
I am guilty of using this word to add insult to injury. I am also guilty of cutting this word out of my vocabulary.
“That is so gay!” “Cut that faggot mess out!” versus “I can not stand faggots!”
Is there a difference in what you are saying? I had to learn the hard way that this word is not acceptable. Here’s the story.
One day I went shopping with a group of friends. I said, “You’re such a faggot.” The problem was, my friend that I said it to was homosexual. The moment that the words left my lips, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I didn’t know if I should cry, throw up, hug him, run or beg for forgiveness. So I stood there. I just stood there. I stood there and looked him into his face, in his eyes and felt his pain. I felt that pain each time that he was called it. I felt the guilt. I felt ashamed. I was disgusted in myself and wondered how anyone could ever be satisfied with bringing someone so much pain with one word. It was the last time that I ever used that word. Then when I consider the origin of the word, I feel worse.
A fable is told that in Europe, when witches were being burned, homosexuals were to be brought to death as well. People were required to bring forth a “bundle of sticks” to burn at their feet as the witches and homosexual males were hung.
I once was guilty of using this negative word as if it had a neutral meaning. I am also guilty of cutting this word out of my vocabulary.
“Wassup my nigga!” versus “Those niggers!”
Is there a difference in what you are saying? Nigga has been deemed as socially acceptable for the majority of minorities. This word is now used as a term of endearment. I will admit, I have used it as what I considered a compliment, and have received it as such as well. The whole “that’s my nigga” phrase is one that is thrown around lightly and looked at as if one were saying, “I love you,” or in replace of “friend.” But let us consider the real meaning, the origin of the word.
In the English language, the word nigger originated from the Latin root of the word niger, meaning black. This term was used as the slaves were brought over and were referred to as just that. No name used. The term was continued to be used as one of the most demeaning racial slurs in the English language. It was ironically flipped, somehow, into something positive.
Some black people call each other that, some white people call each other that and even black people if they are “cool enough” with them, and everyone in between Each time you use niggA or niggER, remember that by using “A” or “ER” is just the same. That when you say, “That’s my nigga,” you are saying “That’s my contemptible, inferior, ignorant person.”
I too am guilty of using this negative word as if the meaning is positive. I also cut this word out of my vocabulary.
Here’s the challenge: we can only do as much as we want to do in order to change the world around us. We claim that the world is sexist, discriminatory and racist. Many of our peers believe that our very own campus is. What are we doing as individuals to change it? What are we doing as an institution to demolish the negative words’ existence.