The Derisive Divide

In a society that is comprised of jeering, ridicule and hatred, how does one cope with the human emotion of humiliation? Humility is something that is to be determined only by the individual inflicted by the problem. What people cease to realize is that when they begin to ridicule, or jeer, another individual, they are hurting them beyond repair. Some people do not cope well with being humiliated and in some cases, can be destroyed for life.

Take for instance the wonderful euphemism, “faggot”. While this word comes to be just a passive aggressive way to refer to a “homosexual” or a “person of the gay persuasion,” it is a hurtful word that is rather meaningless to a large group of society. This word represents more than what the average person can even comprehend. It is a slur. It’s similar to the euphemisms used against persons of Asian descent, persons of African descent, so on and so forth.

This is where one calls into question the ability of the human mind to discern whether or not they are doing something right or if they are doing something wrong. Calling someone a name isn’t usually deemed “horrible” by society, but it is considered rude and irresponsible. This irresponsibility can costs lives. That is something that no one takes into consideration.

Being the subject of ridicule most of my life and constantly being called a “fag” by strangers who do not even know who I am, I have to say that this word represents something that stems from what I like to call the Derisive Divide. People do not understand that words can kill people. My best friend, who died tragically at 16 years of age, blew a hole through his chest because someone called him a “fag”. I’d like you to think about that for just a second.

That one split second of derision that comes spewing out of your mouth could cost a life. Whether or not you think about it that way, or whether or not you even care, that word is far more powerful than anything you will ever say. Any slur, of any type, is something that is a derisive way to create a feeling of humiliation. You do not have any idea what happens to people when they are called names. It is hurtful, demeaning, and above all, psychologically damaging.

So the next time you call someone a “fag”, imagine someone calling you a “murderer”. Would you be offended?