Words matter. That concept has been floating around in my head since the beginning of the 2016 presidential campaign, when it became clear that one candidate’s use of words would turn respectful discourse and disagreement on its head. And that continues to this very day.
This month that candidate, now president and commander-in-chief, uttered a terrifying threat to a foreign government that included the words “fire and fury like the world has never seen.” His words caused an enormous stir here at home and across the world.
I was shocked to hear those words spoken, not only because they conveyed an obvious threat to use the unthinkable — nuclear weapons — but also because they revealed either an incredible tone-deafness to historical pain and suffering, or an equally incredible ignorance of history, period.
The president made this statement on Aug. 8, two days after the 72nd anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. That bomb wiped out 90 percent of the city and killed, instantly, approximately 80,000 people. The day following the president’s statement was marked by the 72nd anniversary of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people. This is not even considering the thousands who died later of radiation sickness.
The “fire and a fury” that the president threatened to use sure looks like something the world has seen before and, I’d like to think, one that the world desperately does not want to see again. And President Donald Trump possesses the codes that would unleash more of that very same fire and fury. And who will stop him? I can only hope that there are people around him who would, but current evidence on that is weak, at best.
Words matter. They can inspire and uplift, and bring people together for healing and understanding. But they can also alienate and divide, and that was the result of the president’s belated words regarding events that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12. He made it clear that he supported the white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and KKK who marched there openly, loudly and violently, saying the blame “belongs on many sides.”
Rather than praise those who turned out to oppose this horrific display of hate, Trump said many sides were equally responsible for the violence that ensued. That violence included the death of a peaceful counterdemonstrator, Heather Heyer, who allegedly was run down by a Nazi sympathizer who injured 19 others at the same time. Clearly only one side was responsible for that.
Later, the president managed to read a more conciliatory statement. But one day after that he was back at it, telling us how there were “very fine people” marching with the Nazis and white supremacists. Very fine people? Really?
Did World War II not happen? Did millions of people not lose their lives to Nazi exterminators? Did this country not expend enormous blood, sweat and tears to put an end to just such a thing? I know these things happened — clearly, the president does not.
So, what did I do when faced with these events and the terrible twisting of words from the leader of the free world?
I marched. On Aug. 19, I traveled to Boston to participate in a march and demonstration to oppose the gathering of another group of white supremacists, this time on Boston Common. I felt compelled to participate, to stop this event from being a repeat of the terrible events in Charlottesville in the only way I knew how … to show up and march. If that meant putting myself in harm’s way, then so be it.
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m no fearless warrior. I was afraid, but I knew that if I stayed home out of fear, they would have won. History tells us that we must not look away when bad things happen, that we must speak out, even when it’s dangerous to do so. And if we don’t, the threat will continue to grow until it’s too late to stop it with peaceful demonstrations.
But it turned out that 40,000 other concerned citizens felt the same way, and we flooded Tremont Street with our bodies and chants while the white supremacist event dwindled to 50 or so. And much to my surprise, most of those marching were young people — in their teens, 20s and 30s. They completely outnumbered the usual gray-haired participants like me, who regularly turn out for these events, and it was a very welcome sight.
They were engaged, energized and angry, and willing to take a stand to stop something they recognized as a threat to the safety of their fellow citizens and to our democratic ideals. It was an amazing display of pushback, of thousands of people saying, enough, we will not sit idly by while hate is awakened and marches freely in our land.
Words do matter. People, including the young, are awake and listening intently to the words being used by this president and they will act again as they did in Boston. Here’s hoping he will choose those words more carefully in the future, but don’t bet on it.
Karen Gardner, of Haydenville, a retired computer programmer, is a bird watcher, nature photographer and ukulele player.