We throw around the word “free speech” like it’s a blank check.

But the reality is, some words cut deeper than fists. And in America, we’ve normalized far too many of them.

“They should just go back to where they came from.”

“If they want rights, they should stop shoving it in our faces.”

“Those kids wouldn’t have died if their parents raised them better.”

“People like that don’t belong in our neighborhoods.”

“Real Americans are heterosexual, white, and Christian. Everyone else needs to leave.”

We hear this garbage every single day. But let’s be clear, these aren’t just “opinions.”

They’re microaggressions.

They’re bullying.

They’re abuse.

Because here’s the impact …

→ they dehumanize.

Words like these are violence.

They strip people of dignity.

They silence. They divide.

They teach our kids that some lives matter less than others.

We’ve been told to accept a lot of things as “normal.”

But silence in the face of harm isn’t normal.

Bullying isn’t leadership.

And violence isn’t freedom.

These are toxic narratives that we’ve inherited.

Passed down from previous generations.

These aren’t values.

They’re dysfunctions we’ve been conditioned to accept as normal.

Yes, free speech is a right.

But using it to wound, exclude, or belittle?

Using it to strip others of dignity and humanity?

That’s not truth-telling. That’s harm.

And just because you were raised by insensitive assholes doesn’t mean you have to be one too.

We all get to choose differently.

If we want a better future for our children, it

starts with calling out the difference.

The good news? Every day we have a choice and we can choose better.

Let’s use our voices to build connection instead of division, dignity instead of shame.

Terica