Cameron Elliott
Kinkade
RWS 200
14 February 2013
The Poison of Words War, violent mass murdering used to accomplish political and government goals, hate crimes, acts of violence or harm to individuals with personal differences, and suicide, the ending of ones own life. All of these unfortunately happen on a daily basis and is considered a norm in today’s news broadcasts, but why are these tragic events simply glazedover and accepted as a common part of the news most people listen to while eating dinner? M. J Hardman, a board member of the American Humanist Association, proposes through her work, “Language and War,” that it is the violent language and war glorifying metaphors used in daily life that has made people accustomed and
In Kinkade’s poem “Snowy Milkweed” the ideas that Hardman is try to get rid of are easily seen by the depiction of a nice peaceful scene of girls playing, but each action not matter what it is gets covered by a thin film of dirt which can not be washed away. That film of dirt is exactly what Hardman is trying to get rid of by removing the violent metaphors and war glorifying actions that make are speech, no matter its intent covered with that muck. But of course, like most diseases that harm the safety of the people, it is not easily eradicated. Hardman understands that this is a process that will take many steps, and explains “The construction of peace in our everyday language and thus in our everyday perceptual patterns is an ongoing process... This must be a cooperative community endeavour.” Hardman pursues something that can only be obtained through a group effort, but the product is also one which benefits all and those who for future generaltions.

Today language is used as a glorification of war and promoter of violence in everyday life but remedies are available to cure the cancer being cause by the words that people use. Hardman explains that these violent words promote and make violent actions acceptable in society and the solution is to simply get rid of them. By no means will changing how a whole culture communicates with each other be an easy task, but