'Racial Thursdays' abuse tradition sparks U.S. army probe; Can anybody explain to me why we teach our kids "sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me" but we show them just the opposite? Which is it America?

The U.S. Army is investigating allegations of so-called “Racial Thursdays,” during which soldiers were encouraged to sling racist remarks at each other.

The army unit involved is the 25th Infantry Division’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Wainwright in Alaska and the soldiers the army is investigating are in the 2nd Platoon, C Company, 3rd Battalion and 21st Infantry Regiment, according to the Army Times.

A soldier, who asked to remain anonymous, told the publication that he felt he had to bring the issue to the attention of the media because his unit has a habit “of sweeping things under the rug.” “When I first got to my unit, someone said we should do ‘Racial Thursdays’ because it’s been a tradition. It’s something they made up where you can say any racist remark you want without any consequences. The platoon sergeant said no, but the shit is still going on,” he said.

The NCO who spoke to the Army Times, and who is Black, said that while no racial slurs had been directed at him because he made it clear he wouldn’t put up with it, that nevertheless “Racial Thursdays” were encouraged as a way of building camaraderie and morale.

The way it was put to me was it was a tradition among the guys. Every Thursday, they wouldn’t make you, you didn’t have to participate, but they’d remind you. Everybody would get a joke in, or one person would be picked out and everybody would say jokes to that one person,” the junior soldier said.

(Source)

Can anybody explain to me why we teach our kids "sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me" but we show them just the opposite?