Dangerous Words
Words are dangerous. No really, they are. That old rhyme of Sticks-and-stones-may-break-my-bones-but-words-will-never-hurt-me?
What a load of hooey.
Words are powerful. They are weapons. They are balms. Words change the world.
In the early/mid 1800’s Heinrich Heine, a German-Jewish poet said, “Whenever books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too.” In 1933 the Nazis started burning books. Why? Because they had “un-German thoughts”.
Hitler, it seems, was afraid of the power of words. He knew they were dangerous. (Learn more about it HERE)
The other day I started reading Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor.
I’d realized that I had somehow missed reading this book in middle school (I missed a lot of the classic teen reads in those days…It’s a long story). I figured I ought to catch up before my daughter hits those novels like the reading maniac she is.
This novel is set in 1930’s Mississippi. The protagonist is an African American girl. I’m sure you can figure out how volatile it was to be black in the south (or anywhere in the U.S.A) in the 1930’s. 1960’s. 2014.
It didn’t take me long to realize that this book must be on the good old Banned Books List. Why is it banned? Because it depicts racism in the south in a way that a white woman deemed “inappropriate for children”.
Because words have power. Words that tell the truth, that strip away a coating of sugar – Those words are weapons.
My daughter, who is often intrigued by what I’m reading, asked about the book.
“You’ll get to read it in a few years,” I said. “And then I want to hear what you think about it.”
“Okay.” She smiled. “Will I read it at school?”
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s a banned book,” I said.
I explained what that meant. She thought it was pretty cool that I would allow the reading of a banned book in our home. I made sure she understood that all banned books read under my roof necessitated a discussion with me. She grinned at our conspiracy. We shook on the agreement.
Man, I love that my daughter is so into words and stories.
You know what? She understands the power of words. Yeah. I’m bragging.
As an author, my days are full up to the rafters with words. I push them around, cross them off, try to spell them correctly (thank goodness for that red dash under the funkily spelled ones). Words can be a balm. They can also be a dagger. I have to be mindful of how I use my words.
Because they have power.
I suspect that Steinbeck knew that. So did Harper Lee. Faulkner and E.B. White got it too. Their words made a difference. They shook things up a bit.
They jabbed at how the world was/is and showed how it could/can be.
This is the power of words.
In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.
John 1:1 of The Bible (banned book)
susiefinkbeiner.com 
Susie, I enjoyed your words…you represent them well!!
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Thank you so much, Linda!
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You are correct. Most schools have the Bible on the “banned list”. I am not familiar with “Roll of thunder, hear my cry”. Let me know your opinion. I would recommend that the kids know that even though the Bible may be on the list it is alright to read it without letting you know first. Love you all, Uncle Mike
“Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading.” T. Jefferson
M. D. Allison North Texas Sample Log Service Consulting Geologist Mob: 940 736 3191 Off: 940 665 3090 Res: 940 665 1050 Email: mallison@ntexsmpllogs.com P. O. Box 1376 Gainesville, Texas 76241 Off: 1010 N. Grand Ave. Gainesville, Texas “You get the government you deserve” T. Jefferson
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Uncle Mike, we have the Bible available for the kids to read whenever and wherever. 🙂 Some parts of it, though, do necessitate a bit of discussion. But that’s a good thing! 🙂
I appreciated Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. I can only see history through the eyes of a white Northern girl and this book put me in the shoes of an African American Southern girl. It did much to build my empathy.
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What a great post. So much truth there. Just recently I read a book that’s sentences were so delightful it changed my entire day. That’s not the same thing as changing the racial climate BUT it shows that they have power.
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I love love love it when I read a book that delights me with the words! Power to induce joy is SO important!
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It’s so easy to forget how powerful – for good or ill – that words are. Thanks for the reminder.
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