There is power in language but there is no strength. This is the simple truth. That well constructed sentences can move and persuade people is their power. The power of debate has been the crux of modern free societies and has allowed not only the preservation of political and religious freedom but has also allowed science to create a firestorm advance of technology in every field ultimately making life better for everyone.
Imagine the wealth of persuasion that is heard, read and spoken on a daily basis on the internet, in newspapers, in books, on fliers, posters and billboards. With radio and television and movies urging one view or another or one point or another it is nearly impossible to ignore the scope of power that every literate person possesses in simple language.
But there is no strength in words. The old adage rings true that the pen is mightier than the sword. However, the phrase is incomplete. The pen is only mightier than the sword if the sword is standing ready. Sure, we can negotiate peace treaties all over the place among the bitterest of enemies. We can write into law statutes against violations of citizen’s rights. We can put down copyright language to ensure the protection of an artist’s property.
But what good is a peace treaty if ignored and trampled? Is it incumbent upon a nation to have the capacity to protect its freedom and sovereignty with violent defense of the language of the agreement? Of course it is. What agreement was ever respected solely for the arguments of words alone? Aside from a few economic pacts held together by mutual benefit to similar nations it is entirely possible that without a military might threatening retaliatory action against pact violations there would be nothing stopping the onset of anarchy as a virus, a scourge upon the whole earth.
Why do we have a police force and a judicial system and a prison system (even insufficient and abused as the system is)? Why do we have an army? Why do we have a right to keep and bear arms?
We have all these things solely because of the fallibility of words. The UN is a failure and can serve as a tremendous example as to why negotiation, largely, means nothing. Imagine if the UN was to negotiate a treaty between Nazi Germany and 1940’s England. Could Hitler be compelled beyond the agreements between he and Chamberlain? Undoubtedly, this is a stupid thing to suggest.
Hitler is an example of a person who is so evil that negotiation will not only play into his plan but it will prematurely play into his plan. Remember that negotiation finds common ground between two parties. Right and wrong cannot find common ground.
Equally pointless is to expect the agreements of the UN to mean anything at all in modern times. Can anyone name anything good the UN has done? There are countless examples of why we should not seek negotiations anymore in this world. Many dictators and extremists are just too beyond reason to be allowed to draw us away from our values. Between good and evil the power of words is superficial and is only upheld by the strength of a sword. Evil does not account for reason beyond its own demented purposes.
I am quite young so unfortunately I was not yet into kindergarten before the Berlin wall fell. My grandfather is as great a man as I have ever seen. He had managed to get a hold of one of countless pieces of the Berlin wall that symbolize liberation. Recently, he gave the piece to me and I asked myself the other day how it was that in face of dangerous odds throughout history, where it seemed there was no hope for justice that common men who held fast to hope and truth and did not budge from their values and ultimately defeated their enemies. The Soviets were defeated not by any negotiations but by the staunchness of free loving people unwilling to be removed from that liberty. Patrick Henry was right.
If we do not hold fast to those truths, that freedom is universal and that morality is definite then we have already lost the war regardless of how the militaristic struggle turns out. If we negotiate with evil and allow evil to continue its reign of terror in the Middle East if only to satisfy a single urge then we have forgotten what it is to be American. Currently that urge is the easily understandable desire to protect the lives of our brave and honorable soldiers. Of course, preserving American life is necessary, but not so absolutely that it supersedes the necessity of maintaining who Americans are.
How do we keep up these values and morals? There is power in language. The benefit of a free nation is that the power of words is beneficial and has an impact. What is it that makes America so great? It is the steadfast manner in which we hold to truth that has allowed us to continue as the greatest nation in history.
So then let us use the power of words but also be sure that no word surpasses a rifle in the battles against oppression and extremism.
