When Did We Stop Following the 'Sticks and Stones' Rule?

If we want a society that's sane and works for everyone, we could start out by accepting the wisdom that was known by every child growing up in the mid-20th century, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me."

Not only did that little phrase teach us a fundamental legal principle — that words, of and by themselves, are no excuse for violence — but it also toughened us up so that we repelled harmful words and criticism like water off a duck's back.

Little Johnny could call us "an ole poopy-head" all he wanted and it didn't bother us at all (well, usually).

That doesn't apply anymore, though, and the most ridiculous, extreme, recent example took place in Oregon, according to a December 5 Daily Mail report.

Gary Edwards, a 43-year-old homeless Black man, was charged with second-degree assault for the July 8 stabbing of Gregory Howard Jr., a white man, in Portland near a light rail stop.

Edwards had several previous assault convictions on his record, including a 2020 incident in which he'd used a knife.

The victim claimed that Edwards approached him in an aggressive manner with his knife in hand. Howard pushed Edwards away, they scuffled a bit, and the confrontation ended when Edwards stabbed Howard in the shoulder.

Edwards admitted that he'd approached Howard while holding a knife, as surveillance video shows, but he claimed he only wanted to trade his knife for some cigarettes.

He added that he never intended to stab Howard until the victim called him the "n-word."

Although surveillance cameras lacked the ability to record audio, security personnel working at the rail stop heard Howard's use of the slur, but only after he'd been stabbed.

The case went to trial in front of a jury, where Daniel Small, Edwards' defense counsel, argued that his client acted in self-defense — not in response to anything the victim physically did, but because of the alleged racial slur.

"What other than racism could explain why Mr. Howard perceived hatred, animosity and aggression from a complete stranger," Small said.

Prosecutor Katherine Williams tried to bring the jury back to the real world — that it didn’t matter what the victim had said, especially after he'd been stabbed.

"The defendant is not scared for his life. He didn't retreat, he sauntered up, and he sauntered away after he stabbed someone. The defendant created the situation," Williams argued.

Nevertheless, the jury found Edwards not guilty on Oct. 31, declaring that the stabbing was an act of self-defense in response to the alleged racial slur.

The judge should have put an end this nonsense when defense counsel first indicated that this was going to be his argument.

Instead, as a result, if someone calls you an offensive name in Portland, you can stab them with a knife in "self-defense."

So much for the "Sticks and Stones" principle.

And recently we've seen name-calling being used as an excuse for violence all throughout America — in response to conservative figures being repeatedly labeled as fascists, white supremacists, and Nazis.

It resulted in two attempts on President Trump's life, one in Butler, Pennsylvania, the second in West Palm Beach, Florida; and the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in Orem, Utah.

They don't kill us because we're Nazis; they call us Nazis so they can kill us, and in each instance the innocent pay the price.

Eighteenth century Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith once observed that "Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent."

Applying that to the Portland knife attack, now that the jury has shown mercy to Edwards, he has every right to believe he can get away with it again, simply by claiming that the victim called him something disgusting.

Accordingly, mercy to Edwards will result in cruelty to his next victim.

It's time we once again accept the childhood wisdom of the "Sticks and Stones" rule, and remember that "Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent."

That's the path we have to take if we want to return to the civility of the "Ozzie and Harriet" days of the mid-20th century.

If we don’t, the "Barbarians at the Gate" will be us.

Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and is a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He's also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and a Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.