Opinion: The Power of Words
Words matter, even in private conversations like group chats.
“Boom — they’re dead.”
These words were spoken by Joseph Maligno, General Counsel of the New York State Young Republicans (NYSR), in a group chat, discussing the best way to kill Jewish people.
Since the leak of these chats, there has been a surge in Nazi and white supremacist imagery in the US, including a University of Georgia student wearing a Nazi uniform as a Halloween costume and a US representative displaying an altered US flag with a swastika in his office.
This rise in violent ideologies serves as a reminder that words have consequences, especially in today's digital age where it's easy to express oneself behind a screen.
Author's summary: Words have power and consequences, even online.