&gt;The pen is mightier than the sword because a pen will move armies with swords.<p>And that is exactly what the right words will do. If it&#x27;s seen as socially acceptable to insult someone, then it&#x27;s not far from that to having it be socially acceptable to commit physical violence against them. Historically, that&#x27;s the way it&#x27;s always worked. I&#x27;ve never once seen or read about an instance of a marginalized group where the insults <i>stopped</i> at racial or ethnic slurs.