词汇问题

“棍子和石头可能会折断我的骨头，但言语永远不会伤害我，” in a response to a schoolyard taunt containing hurtful words many of us have probably used when verbally assaulted by the schoolyard bully. That reasoning is generally untrue as words do hurt and I am sure that you were hurt when the bully made fun of your race, clothing, religion or some other verbal and possibly physical assault against you.

在一个社交媒体时代，看似不敏感的评论针对劳动力中的几乎每个人或街道上的每个人都关注某种颜色，性别，宗教信仰，生活方式，性取向，LGBT和其他人的关注越来越多地关注单词我们使用可能是伤害或帮助的。

我们的言语可以安慰并表达我们理解的，或者我们“看到”了我们面前的另一个人。当然，我们的话可以做出相反的操作：它们可以伤害，孤立并使某人感到微不足道。为了更好，更糟糕的是，我们的话语表示我们的价值观和信念。在向社区成员提供照顾时，言语可以治愈，安慰和引起对悲伤的父母，孩子甚至消防员的同情。

However there are times we experience vitriol directed to those who are “deemed different” from those extoling a viewpoint that is harmful, hurtful and possibly illegal. Using certain words to describe American immigrants either Black, Irish, Polish, German or the ethnic immigrant groups that make up our great nation do a great disservice to those attacked and caused collateral damage to those witnessing or hearing those slurs and epithets.

在战争时期描述我们的敌人的贬低术语是一种有趣的心理策略，通常被使用，在我在越南时期作为海军军事人士，在海军陆战队中任职，我听到了许多贬低描述敌人的词的版本。总的来说，如果并非大多数战争贬低描述我们敌人的词，则旨在将这些敌方战斗人员置于人类进化链中的较小地点，有时将它们归类为sibhuman，并使杀死他们更容易。今天，我们是否在我们的社会中处于这个位置，den毁那些看上去不像我们或持有我们的信念的人是subhuman的，并且不在桌子上共享一席之地？表达挫败感和愤怒的平台以贬义的方式对许多人进行了指向许多人，这些方式可能是有效的，但肯定不会促进民族话语。

我们的言论权有限吗？是的，言论自由的权利存在局限性。从来没有裁定第一修正案保护各种演讲。适当限制的一些例子是，言语造成了明显而当前的危险，即政府有权预防，这将造成一些邪恶。这里著名的例子是在拥挤的剧院中大喊“火”，或者当演讲直接导致违反诸如煽动暴动或使用“战斗言语”之类的和平时。其他例子包括构成诽谤或诽谤的言语，或者当言语构成淫秽时，但在非常狭窄的淫秽定义中。我们使用的单词和言论定义和塑造了我们参与的辩论，而相同的辩论反过来可能会极大地影响我们使用的单词或语言。

As firefighters, we are leaders in our business and community, and as such we have an obligation to measure what we say. I agree that the need for political correctness has taken on a life of its own, being conscious of our words and how they affect others should matter. Firefighters, through their position in the community have an influence and power, so words, as well as actions go a very long way.

问题是，我们是否变得如此瘦弱，以至于任何针对他人的单词都会造成伤害？我不建议我们限制我们的演讲，而是要注意我们如何使用言语。我们生活在一个不完美的社会中，正是这些不完美使我们记得我们必须保持民俗和注意我们的话的力量。作为消防员，社区仰望我们，反过来我们互相仰望，应该使用我们的言语来制定变革，并提高话语水平，以反映我们想要的世界。作为消防员，我们必须理解这一点，并通过我们的行为和我们的行为一样多地引导自己和他人，尽管我们不能完美，但我们可以努力比昨天更好。

At what level is hate and hurtful speech protected? In a 2011 decision delivered by Chief Justice Roberts, the United States Supreme Court addressed the question whether the First Amendment shields church members from tort liability for their hateful speech. The followers of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas (Defendants), believe that God hates and punishes the United States for its tolerance of homosexuality, particularly in America’s military. Defendants picketed the funeral of Marine Lance Corporal Snyder, who was killed in Iraq in the line of duty. Defendants picketed on public land displaying signs stating a number of things that were hateful and hurtful towards the Lance Corporal, the Catholic Church and America approximately 1,000 feet from the church where the funeral was held. The (Plaintiff), father of the deceased soldier, filed action under various tort theories.

罗伯茨法官说：“演讲很强大。它可以激动人们行动，使他们既喜悦又悲伤，并且 - 就像在这里发生的巨大痛苦一样。关于我们面前的事实，我们无法通过惩罚说话者来应对这种痛苦。作为一个国家，我们选择了另一条课程来保护关于公共问题的甚至有害的演讲，以确保我们不会扼杀公众辩论。这种选择要求我们在这种情况下为其纠察队赋予侵权责任。”（2）

The unkind things we communicate can destroy the best of relationships; even with the deepest of regrets…what lingers is a stain of hurt that may fade but will never truly go away. I will tell you that actions speak louder than words and I write this article to remind you that doesn’t mean words can’t and won’t also be hurtful and harmful. My plea to you, in this age of social media, insensitive individuals, instantaneous ideas and just plain BS, is to express yourself carefully, rationally, and most of all, thoughtfully. Choose your words wisely, considering how much they can matter, and teach others in your department do the same so the world we all live in can be a more mindful place.

My wise Irish mother once told me, “Think before you speak as words are like bullets – once released cannot be recalled and can do great harm.” Regret is a human characteristic and sometimes saying “I’m sorry” will not undue the harm caused by your words.

尾注
1) “Less Than Human': Why we Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others by David Livingstone Smith
2) Snyder v. Phelps, 09-751, 2011 WL 709517 (U.S. Mar. 2, 2011).