This is a very important Public Service Announcement: buying a dictionary today can save lives.

Do not hesitate. Go now and purchase one.

If you do not, not only will you risk sounding completely insane when you speak, but you will also be contributing to an ignorant culture that is putting lives at stake.

On campus I hear murmurings of “I can’t stand feminists.” When asked what is meant by “feminists,” people point to oppressive forms of protest and women unwilling to communicate peaceably with men as equals. It is predominantly radical feminism and sexism that people describe in their explanations, not equal pay for equal work or women’s right to vote.

I have not talked to anyone thus far who does not want respect and equality for their mothers.

Yvette Felarca, the leader of the recent Berkeley protest against speaker Milo Yiannopoulos believes that the violence dispensed by her group “By Any Means Necessary” was justified because of Milo’s identity as a “fascist.” She further defines fascism as anti-women, homophobic and white supremacist.

Even if we accepted that Milo is a fascist, what truly is a fascist? I will leave the exact definition for you to uncover, but I will tell you that fascism has nothing to do with racism, sexism or bigotry. It is a form of government, which is anti-democratic, not a social ideology.

Conflict between groups today is so often the result of misunderstanding. Anti-feminist remarks are polarizing men and women and not actually communicating the true opinions of those who make them. People throw around terms like “fascist” with no concept of what these words mean.

The only true meaning behind them is one of violent opposition to “otherness” and this violence leads to innocent victims brutalized, like the young white man with special needs who was beaten bloody in Chicago not so long ago.

We as a student body must commit ourselves to a more discerning approach to social discourse.

Careless usage of language is irresponsible and it is our duty as members of our community to speak intelligently about our ideas so that we can grow together through communication rather than let our language divide us.