On January 7, 2026, immediately after executing Renée Nicole Macklin Good, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross fired a verbal shot for the history books: “F*cking b*tch.”
Later on that morning, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stood live in front of the world and infamously told ICE to “get the f*ck out” of their city.
Since then, most attention has been on the physical violence of the fiery ICE occupation in otherwise peaceful civilian territory. But let’s talk about those words for just a few minutes and how the F bombs we choose to drop have long-term consequences, too.
Don’t get me wrong. I love using the word f*ck within certain contexts, particularly while in traffic.
But while words do not directly shoot someone dead in the street, the weight of both Ross and Frey’s words continue to fuel fear and rage among protestors and pro-ICE citizens alike.
From my perspective as a middle-aged person, the world does not need more fear and rage.
We need safety and reassurance.
And if that’s true (which it is), then wouldn’t a sign that says “F*ck ICE” only fuel hostility and discontent rather than inviting any form of peaceful resistance?
‘F*ck ICE’ or ‘ICE Out‘: the word choice is in your hands
Asking you not to swear in protest isn’t about taking away your inalienable right to curse or censor your feelings. Rather it’s about remembering the potential power in words and how language can spread seeds of compassion when we choose them for healing rather than harming.
F*ck ICE feels good to say when you’re angry and don’t know what else to do, but at the end of the day, demanding eviction sounds a lot better than sodomizing a fascist.
“Many scientific studies have shown that words, positive or negative, not only affect us on a deep psychological level, but can also have a significant impact on the outcome of our lives,” writes Elyssa Lee, a licensed psychologist, in an article titled “Real Men Don’t Cry.”
Lee goes on to report a study that shows increased levels of anxiety in children are associated with higher rates of negative self-talk, which can lead to myriad physical health issues as well.
In “Words Can Change Your Brain,” neuroscientists argue that “a single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress.”
Over time, that dysregulation can turn into long-term mental health issues. Mental health issues, if left untreated, can lead to making poor choices, addiction, abuse, and violence.
Peaceful resistance is slower, but its power lasts
I can’t pretend to have all the answers, but my experience in corporate and crisis communications and my years as a journalist have proven to me that words carry enormous power—to hurt and to heal.
You know who did understand peaceful resistance? Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, to name a few. Oh, and these guys.
But “censoring” our language doesn’t mean we cower in the face of tyranny.
Dialing down the F bombs and replacing them with flower power won’t just change the vibe of resistance, but it’ll change the way we come together and work through the differences that have gutted so many of us.
So how do we “weaponize” our language for good? Here are a few tips stolen from the best of objective journalism and crisis communication.
Be factual. See all sides, hear all sides, speak all sides. Honor the facts first, because like science, facts don’t lie unless you have something to cover up.
Be receptive. Arguing back and forth is no longer an option. Being receptive to what others might see in a situation that you do not see is imperative to building a system of communications that offers real inclusion and safety.
Be truthful. Lying or telling half-truths to save your reputation or the reputation of people you love or respect is also no longer an option. Being truthful isn’t just being transparent or authentic. Being truthful is standing up, speaking out, even when it’s hard, inconvenient, or potentially damaging to your reputation or ego.
Being truthful includes recognizing when you are wrong.
Be discerning. Understand your own power. Know that the knowledge and wisdom that you and you alone contain is a gift waiting to be shared with the world. Discernment in your words means you don’t dump a prompt into A.I. to save time or swear simply for dramatic impact. Rather, discernment with your words requires patience, attention, and self-respect for your own intellect. You are a beautiful, smart human being! We need you!
Be loving. Baba Ram Dass, a masterful teacher of Buddhist meditation, always said to practice lovingkindness.
“The greatest thing you can do for another being is to provide the unconditional love that comes from making contact with that place in them that is beyond conditions,” he said. “If I can just love you because here we are, then you are free to grow as you need to grow.”
Whether that’s being loving to yourself first, or passing love to someone who needs it, being loving doesn’t require words of hostility and violence. Peaceful resistance requires compassionate communications. The more we communicate in this way, the more our own love spreads to others and influences the way they show up.
