Dear Editor,

I refer to Mervin Stoddart’s column of May 29, “Dudus is not the real enemy”. I am disheartened that the publication of such vitriolic statements would be allowed, where he spews comments like “the economies of capitalistic exploiters”, “earth’s evil Caucasians”, and “already their multinational corporations are raping all nations socio-economically”. It is about time we all acknowledge the power of words and be held to greater account.

Yes, I agree that some actions of the past by large countries could be viewed as “taking advantage” of other countries and people, but how does it help the current state of affairs – in a world where all countries have to work together for the betterment of all countries – to be promoting these notions? People can change and with change, enemies of the past can become partners of the future. Comments like those only help to further divide and polarise, thereby making partnership and progress that much more difficult.

Perhaps we have all been indoctrinated with the misleading and very damaging maxim that “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

That statement couldn’t be further from the truth. Words send nations to war, cause people to commit murder, give an entire generation hope, mobilise an entire society against a common enemy, spur donations of millions of dollars to ravaged states and even talk a suicidal jumper off the cliff. Sometimes, the best use of words, is no use at all.

Marc Gayle

Kingston