I have one thing to say right now, just one, to any person out there who has ever said some variation of the following:
"Well, stick and stones, you know? I mean they're only words! Why let them get to you?"
I dare you, I DARE you, to say that to the family of Jaheem Herrera or the family of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover. Go ahead. Tell those people who have lost a chunk of their hearts that it's "just words!"
Protip:
ITS NEVER JUST WORDS!
I don't know how many times I have to say this, words mean things! Words shape how we define the world, how we perceive things that others do or are. Words MEAN things, and trying to brush those meanings off as someone who is hurt being "oversensitive" is privileged and heartless. Words harm people. Words can kill.
It takes a long time to be able to get over the effects words have on us, and in some cases, we never get over those effects. I'm to the point now where other peoples' words don't affect me as much as they did when I was younger, but I'm 55 now, age and increased self-esteem has helped me see that when people throw nasty words my way, it's not because of a problem I have, it's because of a problem they have, and I can let it go and not let it affect me. But to expect kids to have that same ability to ignore and let go because it's not them with the problem but the problem of the ones doing the bullying, well, that's expecting too much. Adults need to step in and stop this shit from happening, but too many of them won't because they're guilty of the same damned thing in their own lives (under the guise of "it's for your own good" when they tell friends/family that they're fat or stupid or ugly or smelly or any other derogatory comment aimed at "improving" you).
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