How Name Calling/Mean Comments Hurt All of Us

Disclaimers are useful I have heard, so look out- I'm getting political. Also, I'm going to try my best to tell a personal story, here it goes!

I'm sure we can all recall a time in our lives when we said something we didn't mean Subsequently, we can all think of a time when we were called something we did not particularly like. I'm here to argue, like our girl Phoebe, here is something that we need to do better. Negative commentary, which is the use of language to defame, demean or degrade—has dire lasting effects on two separate groups: to the target, who feels shame, intimidation and fear, and to the general public, who may internalize  sexist stereotypes, feel powerless, or worry that an aspect of their identity will be targeted next. If adults are portraying this behavior, what message does that send to younger generations. (Looking at you Trump!!)

THIS LINK YOU GUYS: IT IS VIEWABLE AS ALPHABETICAL AND CHRONOLOGICAL, just on his twitter! 508 and counting.

donald-trump-twitter-insults.html

Let me delight you all with just a few of the winners, 

Trump on Megyn Kelly: "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever." 

Trump on California Rep. Maxine Waters: “An extraordinarily low IQ person.”

Trump on former Republican primary competitor, Carly Fiorina: "Look at that face, would anyone vote for that?"

Trump on Hillary Clinton: "When she walked in front of me, believe me, I wasn’t impressed."

Yeah, I'm sure I can think of all the things I want to make fun of him for. (Here is the time for you to yell them at your computer screen, this is a safe space.) But I digress! 

There is no better time than now to talk about how we talk about each other, and how we can perpetuate or encourage this behavior. These quotes are bold and big for a reason; these words are loud and angry. The things we say to one another can not be taken for granted.

Just the other morning, my sister walked out of her bedroom and said to me "What's up you dumb whore?" I paused for moment in disbelief. This is a 13 year old girl. I'm sure she's heard these words countless times at school, and with that cellphone glued to her hand, her small world is already crowded with negativity. I will not lie to you all and say I have never called someone a name. However, I can tell you how much it hurt when someone would say the same thing back to me. We are all sensitive little creatures that deserve every ounce of love that comes to us. So why I wonder, do we continue this behavior? The insults we immortalize can roll off the tongue like a flaming breath. These epithets can be thrown in moments of uncontrollable anger, but when they become a casual rhetorical response, I call this a problem. I can recall a time when I called my younger brother, Zach, stupid, cue Mom chasing me with hot sauce. Some of you would laugh and be like, "Hell yeah, bring on that spice!" but I confess I can't take the heat, so I stay out of the metaphorical kitchen. 

My response to be called a dumb whore was an attempt at engaging is some feminist discourse with my sister. "When we perpetuate these words, they lose meaning." "Women should work together, not against each other, that is how oppression has persisted." "When a woman stands up for herself, she stands up for all women." "Who run the world? Girls." She stares blankly at me as I embarrassingly go on for far too long. She then responds: "Whatever, bitch."