the increasing fury at word crimes

In past decades, public censure of reprehensible words has increased, relative to public censure of reprehensible conduct. In the field of athletics, Donald Sterling has been crucified and are not likely to be forgiven, but athletes who do reprehensible things receive little rebuke and quickly forgiven.


Why?


a.) It has grown far easier to spread word crimes through technological advance.


b.) Word crimes are easier to prove than action crimes.


c.) In the Sterling/athlete comparison, older people are held to higher standards than younger people.


d.) In the Sterling/athlete comparison, it doesn't cost "us" anything to punish an owner, but it would cost us to lose offending players.


e.) Sticks and stones may break bones, but words are increasingly hurting us.


f.) Words are thought to more accurately reflect the heart than actions which are more likely driven by impulse and corrupt but impulsive heart.


g.) Other (fill in the blank).