I want to start this by saying that, yes, I am a well-taught journalism major.

I understand what an Oxford comma is and when not to use it. Spelling out the number eight is just what we do, and if you think we use the percent sign in articles, you’ve got another thing coming.

But the biggest mark of a good journalist is her dedication to free speech. We fiercely hold on to the right to report anything for the good of the reader. We fit right into a society that encourages the right to speak your mind. Collectively, we are all very lucky.

And I commit to that. Until we start to use our power of “free speech” for evil.

Yes, I’m talking about times we use “those” words, the ones people say all the time, the ones that society throws around without any regard to who’s listening: “gay,” the “r-word,” “rape,” etc. But I’m also talking about speech in art or on social media or any other medium. Sometimes, we think these things are funny, but they are just offensive.

Just a couple of months ago, when a Miami University student started a @OxfordAsians account. Instead of posting about the actual Asian culture on the campus, the tweeter went down the more “microaggressional” route, posting tweets that made Vietnamese sweatshop jokes and swapped L’s for R’s. Props to the students who responded back with The Real @OxfordAsians viral campaign, which consist of signs that express students’ own disdain for the “typical” Asian stereotypes, but negative points to anyone who thought this was OK to do in the first place.

Or the example of the French magazine, Numero, that did an “African Queen” spread with a white model painted up in deep bronzer to look black. Some people called it creativity and in line with the artistic spirit. Sorry, but why does blackface need to be a staple in expressionism?

I am not the censor police. I’m not trying to say that we should never say anything, never be edgy, that we should burn books and teach our children not to swear and unreasonably blur out everything on TV. But I am saying that we can use our “freedom” while being a decent human being. Saying that something “raped” you, calling someone the r-word or gay in a derogatory way, inappropriately tweeting about race in an ironic way — these are abuses of freedom of speech. These words just makes us insensitive.

I understand that watching our words isn’t a simple task. As one of my I-Connect students pointed out to me during the topic of microaggressions, the world is a big place, and we always run the risk of possibly offending somebody. It’s tough to watch our mouths 24/7.

I agree. It is tough. But it’s not impossible, and we certainly shouldn’t give up without trying.

The key is to look outward. We can take pride by watching what we say in any medium because we are creating a safer space for all. We are using the English language for good.

We have the beautiful right to protest against an unfair law or to write about human trafficking problems in dangerous countries. But we shouldn’t take something that was so beautiful and use it as a thinly veiled-excuse to throw around words or post things online that “aren’t a big deal.” We need to remember that though it’s easy to let certain words slip, words hurt.

Seemingly innocent expressions of speech freedom can cut like a knife. And even if you can’t refrain from using certain words, even if you think it’s your right, you should never condemn the people who stand up for themselves and admit they are offended.

They shouldn’t have to grow “thicker skin”; they deserve their right to express how uncomfortable they are.

There are journalists who use their freedom of speech to expose wrongdoings every day, writers who use this freedom to build a more informed and understanding nation. And I stand behind their fight. But when we start to use words that do nothing but offend and defend ourselves by saying it is “free speech,” well, that’s where I draw the line.

Tolu is a senior in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].