A Kind Of Slur
Words are powerful things.
One of the greatest lies in modern discourse is the suggestion that words are somehow less significant or “real” than physical action. “Sticks and Stones,” after all. A politician who says all the right things is branded an empty suit if their actions are not measured in kind.
But words control us in marked and unavoidable ways. There are words that we feel bad for saying, or uncomfortable even thinking. F-words can be censored for all audiences, but the N-word is something far more powerful. Even the idea of saying it is disquieting for most people. It certainly is for me.