We must be careful with words

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/05/2024 (691 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Recently Pierre Poilievre called Justin Trudeau a “wacko” and “a racist.” We sometimes forget that words are potent weapons.

Hurtful words lacerate the heart; the scars from these words may never completely disappear.

I am late to the word game, starting to write at the venerable age of 67. As a writer you take your chances when you commit something to print.

Godwin’s law references the fact that the longer an online discussion goes on the more likely it is that someone will compare you to Hitler or a Nazi. Fortunately, I have never been called Hitler or a Nazi.

But I have been called other names such as smug, difficult and arrogant. One reader even told me that I should move to Toronto because I objected to the presence of too many wild animals in Winnipeg.

But it wasn’t until a reader of one of my articles sent me an unsolicited Ephesians 4:31-32 quote that I started to get concerned about the weaponization of words. The quote was sent to me after I wrote an article titled Patient rights must be afforded greater protection (Jan. 3, 2020).

I concluded the article by stating that we need a patient complaint system that includes patient supports, rights and consistent standards. To the credit of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, they responded to the article by creating a half-time public support adviser position.

As per this biblical quote, however, I was told that I was full of “bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander… and every form of malice” (evil)? Additionally, I was instructed to be kind, compassionate and forgiving.

A disturbing aspect about the internet or social media is that most forms of abuse are done anonymously.

Fortunately, the sender of this quote included his name in the message. But how do you respond to a message indicating that you are evil and rageful?

I replied to this individual stating that while he may have had good intentions in sending me this biblical quote, I was, in fact, extremely offended by it.

A finger infection almost killed me. With my family watching I spent 10 days in a coma, hovering near death. I had put my trust in four physicians and a medical regulatory system to protect me; they failed me. Did I not have a right to be angry?

The young man who sent me the quote answered indicating that he had not meant to offend me. He only wanted “peace for everyone.” The word apology did not appear in his response.

Peace, kindness, and forgiveness. Who can argue with these concepts? But what about accountability, responsibility and learning from mistakes. Aren’t these ideas also important?

What I didn’t tell this person was that, when I recovered from this medical mistake nightmare, I focused, not on peace and kindness, but on doing what I could to ensure that what had happened to me didn’t happen to anyone else. I was, and continue to be, determined to make a difference in the world.

Maybe the problem is not words but the fact that we are quick to judgment. In our rush to judge we make assumptions about people and neglect to hear their stories.

We should be more curious. The reader in question sent me a biblical quote without knowing my story. In turn I responded to him without knowing his story.

We need more illuminating conversations and fewer hurtful words. But these conversations take courage, the kind of courage that enables you to understand another person at a deeper level where you can take responsibility for your behaviour and, if necessary, make amends.

It is easy to traffic in noxious words. Words, however, are only the currency of our thoughts and communication. They are what we make of them. Let’s use them thoughtfully to help rather than harm us.

Mac Horsburgh started writing to assist him in recovering from a traumatic medical event.