Words *do* have a great deal of power, but mostly because we grant it to them. While I deplore racist or any type of pejorative language as a matter of principle, it seems to me that hitting someone with a baseball bat is a pretty clear indication that you don't like them very well! To my mind, taking an action that could conceivably kill another person is inherently "hate"-ful; calling names in the bargain is just adding insult to injury.

~D