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Do words matter?
Submitted by Toby on July 23, 2009 - 6:34pm.
Greetings dads,
There is a local case here in MA that received National press - the arrest of Harvard professor Gates.
Here is a link to it that includes the police report: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/23/police-officer-obama-butt-arr...
I do not want to open a can of worms of who is correct; I would like to discuss the President's words. He said that the Cambridge police acted "stupidly."
Each day, my wife and I work to teach our children how to communicate, and we cannot stand them calling anyone stupid. Again, not taking sides for or against the President, the Professor, or the Police, should the President of the United States done a better job of choosing his words?
I look forward to your comments.
Cheers,
Toby
Re: Do words matter?
Thanks for your comments Dads. I am looking for this issue to run its course.
Cheers,
Toby
Re: Do words matter?
I'd have agree with John - a skilled speaker can use it effectively and can emphasize his points. He didn't call the officer stupid, he said the officer acted stupidly. Subtle difference, but important.
Re: Do words matter?
I give the president a pass.
I think the important thing is that the president was describing the officer's actions, and "stupid" is an apt description of arresting a man for carrying on in his own house.
If he had said that the officers themselves were stupid, that would cross a line.
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As for kids, they might not be able to so carefully make distinctions, so a general prohibition of the word may be appropriate.
As for the "hypocrisy," I would just say that words like "stupid" are a grown-up tool. Used by a skilled speaker like the president, they can be used effectively, but they may not be for kids.
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