Words Matter by Patrick Carolan

We have all heard the expression “words matter.” Growing up, we would have heard it from our teachers our parents, or maybe we heard it as part of a homily at Sunday services. Words can bring immense joy and healing but they can also cause harm. They can be used in such a way that they cause another person deep emotional and spiritual pain. They can dehumanize us, take away our dignity, and destroy our hope. Most of us, if we are being honest, have used words that we have regretted as soon as they came out of our mouths. I know I have many times. Our choice of words and how we frame them tells a story of how we view the world and the people in it, and our actions within the world.

Saint Clare of Assisi, one of the founders of the Franciscan Order, said that when you look at a person, you should see Christ, and when a person looks at you, they should see Christ. When we use hateful and demeaning words to describe people who are different from us, we are certainly not being Christlike. When we use our words to spread lies and misinformation about others, we are not following Saint Clare’s directive. We are not seeing the Christ in others, nor are we allowing them to see the Christ in each of us. As Dr. Brad Kelle, professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), writes: “When we say things like, ‘This person is a conservative or liberal,’ or ‘This person is a foreigner,’ we alter our perception of that person. What is so damaging with doing this is that it moves us away from the primary lens with which we are supposed to see all people, as made in the image and likeness of God.”

The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) has issued a call to action which they title “Civilize It: A Better Kind of Politics.” The initiative challenges all of us “to engage in critical examination to ensure that my perspectives are rooted in truth, that my sources of information are unbiased, and that I do not open myself to manipulation by partisan interests.” Because our words matter, they should always be grounded in the truth. In this day and age of social media, we have seen how a simple lie or bit of misinformation, even sometimes told in jest, can spread and cause serious harm to others. Dr. Rob Thompson, PLNU professor of philosophy, tells us: “Discerning how to use our words in line with our Christian dignity requires a posture of humility, respect, and curiosity. It requires that we take the stance of a continual learner, yet do so together—as members of a shared community aimed at loving God and others more fully.”

We have seen this happen during the current political campaign. One person in Springfield, Ohio, posted a statement on Facebook about her friend’s missing cat, and that she heard that Haitian immigrants were eating pet cats and dogs. She later apologized and said she had just heard a rumor and had no idea whether it was true or not. The rumor quickly spread and was picked up by former president Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J. D. Vance. Even though local officials as well as the state governor and the person who first posted the comment have all stated the rumor was not true, these two candidates for our highest office continue to spread the lies. Words matter—and their words have caused serious damage to Springfield and other communities that have experienced bomb threats, forced school closures, and populations living in fear.

The lies that were told by Trump and Vance did not end with the idea that the Haitian people were eating people’s pets. Vance repeatedly portrayed Haitian migrants, not only in Springfield but thousands across the nation, as being brought into the US illegally by Vice President Kamala Harris. Vance said they will be deported under a Trump-Vance administration.

We often hear people comment that they have no problem with immigration “if folks would just come legally.” The Haitians that came to Springfield followed the rules. They applied for and were granted asylum. They are hardworking, tax-paying people looking to be part of the community. They were invited to come to Springfield by businesses that could not find workers. Ross McGregor, CEO of the Springfield manufacturer Pentaflex and former state lawmaker, said that his company even worked with a staffing agency to make sure they were following proper immigration procedures. “There are challenges, particularly with the language barriers,” he said. “But they come to work every day, they work hard, they want all the work they can get. From an employer standpoint, they’ve made a positive impact.”

Politicians and media folks pretend they do not have a problem with immigrants if they come here legally. Well, the Haitians in Springfield followed all the rules. The hate-filled rhetoric that Trump, Vance, and their followers are using seem to tell a different story about how they feel “welcoming the stranger.” There is only one word to describe people who claim to want to welcome legal immigrants and then spread vicious lies about people who come here legally. That word is hypocrisy. And the sin of hypocrisy is the sin that Jesus talks most about in the gospels. Words matter. ♦

Patrick Carolan is a Catholic activist, organizer, and writer. He served as the Executive director of the Franciscan Action Network for ten years; he co-founded the Global Catholic Climate Movement and Catholics Vote Common Good. His writing and activism are centered on his understanding and belief through Franciscan spirituality of the connectedness of all creation and God.

Image: Handwritten drafts of dictionary entries by Noah Webster, c. 1790-1800. Yale University Manuscripts & Archives Digital Images Database / Public Domain