Family Life, May/June 1994:

Language is a powerful attitude builder. Whenever we say "water down" to mean to weaken, we're sending a message that shows we don't appreciate how valuable water is. When we use animal names as insults, we're showing disrespect. Snakes are not evil. Worms are not lowlifes. Dogs are not ugly. Sit down with your family and work out some insults that really mean something. Third graders in Bakersfield, Vermont, got into the swing of eco-insults when they invented terms such as "smog brain" and "landfill breath."

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