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["Michael D. Thomas" <mdthomas AT mindspring.com>]

> I have never understood this cultural peculiarity that certain words
are
> somehow bad.  

A very illustrative phrase I hear from time to time is: "a verbal punch
in the mouth." People exist physically and can experience physical
violence. But people also exist psychically, so obviously people can
experience violence on a non-physical plane.

Physical violence is a type of physical interaction. Non-physical
violence is a non-physical interaction. Society wishes to control
violence between its members. Physical violence is far easier to control
than non-physical violence. You can't 'see' non-physical violence. Since
language is a key conduit in non-physical interaction, society wishes to
control language as part of controlling violence.

The problem is that attempts to control violence through laws can only
go so far. Society can't enforce peace. True peace can only come from
within the members composing society.