We’ve all heard the old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” This saying was meant to convey the idea that people cannot really hurt you by what they say, only by what they do physically.
As we reflect this week on the mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., that killed six people and wounded 14 others, we realize that both parts of that saying are true. Physical violence, of course, does cause harm. But words can also hurt people and perhaps lead to physical violence.
We don’t know the full story behind why the alleged shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, decided to shoot U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords while she was meeting with some of her constituents outside a supermarket in Tucson.