The Pen Can Raise The Sword

The power of words often astounds me, enthralls me, captivates me in inquisitive wonder. I love them and cherish them, especially when they are formatted into novels.  Literature has molded me, obviously in my mind's eye positively, but sometimes I wonder about the reach of manipulative rhetoric. I begin to ponder, if the equivalent of Hitler was my professor, if I read constantly misguided, but seemingly accurate, novels that encouraged loathing towards a specific denomination such as homosexuals, if I was surrounded by ads urging me into a bigoted mindset, would I be? What is so terrifying is that I reckon I might. Most people would. That is the reach of language. It is the basis of justice and fairness in American government, but it could so easily be the venue of ignorance and hostility. Just as the simple, but convincing pamphlet, Common Sense, influenced an entire people to war, even if it was for good reason, language could just as easily incite chaos. When one considers it from British perspective it seems insane. How could a mini book induce so many to mutiny? Nothing more that the right compilation of letters, sentences, and pages did this. Which means that it could just as well impel another Holocaust to occur. The pen is is not only mightier than the sword, it can be what raises the sword and decapitates humanity.