THINK ... BEFORE you speak!

Do you ever sit down and reflect on the kind of language you use to refer to your friends, family and even strangers?

If you answered “yes”, good for you.

Maybe we don’t realize or we just ignore these terms, but some words thrown around today are horrifying. Some words have origins that date back to times in which an unfair, racist system was set up in our country

, and the worst part is that the economy was partially built on it and that it has long standing effects on our country.

Some people try to justify this by saying, “so and so uses it, so I can too”. Let’s be honest. That isn’t a legitimate justification to use words like this. Not only that but these words are notorious for being used as slurs against minorities including the LGBTQ community, the African American community and the Hispanic community.

Regardless of what word is used, the notion that these words are used on a day to day basis, infiltrating our everyday vocabulary, is alarming. These sorts of words are known for having a derogatory and demeaning connotation to them, and we are either blind to it or we choose to ignore it. No matter the context, they still have a harmful effect.

Members of minority groups also have a responsibility. Some people within minorities may say, “Oh but I don’t really care.” What we need to understand is that even if there are some people that say these words do not upset them in any way, not everyone is like that. There is no universal attitude in regards to slurs.

Not everyone reacts the same way to different things, nor do we all see things in the same light. However, if we were able to become aware of these issues, we may actually have a substantial effect on not only our communities, but everyone around us.