Intro+Second+Draft+MK

First Thesis: Words can be hurt and heal because of the people who are using the words. It all comes down to how that person is using the truth of the word.


 * WHY? (What is the 'truth of the word'?) **

Level 2: The truth is that the words ‘niggers’ and ‘fags’ have the power to shock. This power only exists if we are scared of the word, scared to say it.


 * WHY? **

Level 3:

The truth is that the words ‘niggers’ and ‘fags’ have the power to shock. This power only exists if we are scared of the word, scared to say it openly. This fear of the word comes from the words' negative history.


 * WHY? **

Level 4:

The truth is that the words ‘niggers’ and ‘fags’ have the power to shock. This power only exists if we are scared of the word, scared to say it openly. This fear of the word comes from the words' negative history. Like any monster the only way to get past this fear is to face it because if we are open about the negative past we can create a positive future.


 * Second draft Essay Paragraph:**

When someone is called a ‘fag’ or something is considered ‘gay’ the meaning is clear: these things are considered bad or stupid. No one wants to be called these things because they are insults. At the same time, these same hurtful words are sometimes used in a positive, everyday, way. Consider the song “I’m Still your Fag” by Broken Social Scene. The title itself is shocking; someone declaring their homosexuality and their love, for the whole world to hear. Moreover he is using the word that I am sure others have used against him: ‘fag’. In this context though, it is a love song, where the word’s meaning is changed. The singer is using this word in the same way as ‘the haters’. He is using ‘fag’ as a reminder of the painful history behind homosexuality. But rather then use this history to establish power over someone by hurting them, he is using the word to try to heal his own pain through love. The negative history is still there, but the word is now showing a positive future. It all comes down to how that person is using the truth of the word. The truth is that the words ‘niggers’ and ‘fags’ have the power to shock. This power only exists if we are scared of the word, scared to say it openly. This fear of the word comes from the words' negative history. Like any monster the only way to get past this fear is to face it because if we are open about the negative past we can create a positive future.