Do you remember when you were a child and your parents taught you that phrase so you could cope with your classmates teasing you. Now, that I am all grown up, you know what I have come to realize, that phrase is a big, old, fat LIE! Words can hurt just like sticks and stones and sometimes even worse. The bruises and broken bones from sticks and stones will probably heal, but it can take a long time for the words in your heart and mind to heal. The idea that words mean nothing is completely ludicrous. If that was true, language itself, poetry, lyrics in songs, books, dialogue and anything that included words would mean nothing to us. Girls would not be committing suicide or leaving school over what people are saying about them in chatrooms, myspace, facebook, school, etc. You would not be so offended if people were gossiping about you, slandering your name, putting fake information about you in the tabloids, ruining you reputation based on what they said. Words can ruin lives and it can kill. As it is in the Bible, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). Why do you think verbal abuse exist in the first place! Think of the children out there whose lives went down the drain after negative things were said to them over and over. On negative word had a greater impact on them than a dozen positive words. This whole rant started over the word “nigger,” which has been one of the worst words in history and if words meant nothing, that it is just a word, that word would have never been the source of hatred and debate for centuries. Also, putting a claim on a word is just as foolish because anyone can say a word. It is not yours, it is everyone’s to possess. So, the only way to control it is to be careful of the words we use because we know we can hurt someone with it. Be encouraging and educating, not damaging in your use of words. God Bless.

Update: Here are what two journalist said about the phrase:

‘Sticks and stones may break my bones,’ goes the children’s rhyme, ‘but words will never hurt me.’ One wonders whether the people on the receiving end‥would agree.
[1980 Cosmopolitan Dec. 137]

Sticks and stones may break some bones, but, as every journalist knows, words truly hurt. They rouse the fiends of fury, litigation and letters to the press.
[2001 Times 28 Dec. 20]