The war of the words used as weapons

Yes, I have visited this topic previously. However in light of issues with the ABC, BBC and other media here and across the world, ranging from bias to outright demonisation of Israel, as well as the language being used at anti Israel/Jewish demonstrations and on graffiti such as was recently painted across Bondi, I feel that revisiting this issue is more important than ever.

According to Wikipedia, a word is “a basic element of language that carries meaning, and can be used on its own”. The Macquarie Dictionary defines it as “a sound or a combination of sounds, or its written or printed representation”, But there is much more to words than one realises. They can be a positive aid to humanity as it seeks achievements, but they can sometimes also bring out and express the worst in people – with dangerous consequences.

What is the meaning of “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”? This is the classic chant of “picked-on” children. It’s supposed to mean that you can’t hurt me by calling me names or saying mean things about me.

Sadly however this is far from the truth.

Some older readers of this column may recall a classic Hebrew textbook from the 1950s era – Elef Milim– a thousand words. That’s how language was once taught, as words are the basis of the construct from which speech is made and recorded.