Throughout the evolution of man, we have developed weapons of harm and destruction intended to ensure that we prevail or emerge victorious in the battles that we use them in. From the knife, to the gun to the nuclear bomb, as we evolve and progress – so does our ability to maim and destroy. But of all the weapons that we possess – nothing comes close to the power of the pen.

Since the beginning of time, man has used the written word to make a point, draft an agreement – or declare its independence from an oppressive nation. From the invention of the first weapon, this planet has survived countless battles, numerous conflicts – and even two World Wars. But rather than the weapons that have been used to fight in these battles – it has been the signature of the leaders of our nations that have stopped them.

As a writer, I have witnessed the power of the pen on several occasions. The most amazing is when I did a cover story for The Brooklyn Baron on a man who suffered from terminal cancer and was given three months to live from Sloan Kettering Hospital – but after seeing a doctor who invented a new cancer treatment – he was alive years after his Sloan Kettering diagnosis. After the story was published, I received a call from a man who also had terminal cancer and, after reading my story, went to see that same doctor after he was given four months to live from a hospital. He told me that after receiving the same treatment, he passed his four month “sentence”. He then thanked me for writing the story – because it saved his life.

Another amazing testimonial to the power of the pen was when I was Editor of The Marketeer. I received a letter from a woman who told me her 12-year-old niece was suffering from a disease similar to Muscular Dystrophy and her parent’s insurance refused to cover some of her necessities, so the family was having a fund-raiser and if I could publish the location, date and time, they would really appreciate it. I called the woman who wrote the letter because I could not read some of the information due to the fact that it was hand written. When I spoke to her, she told me that the fund-raiser was still on as scheduled but one thing had changed – the girl died two days after she wrote the letter. After hearing that horrible news, I decided that instead of putting a simple ad in the Community Bulletin Board, I would write an article on the girl’s passing and the upcoming fund-raiser. After the article was published, I received a call from the woman who originally wrote me. She told me that since the story was published – the family received over $5,000 in donations from people all over the five boroughs who read the story.

So as I have experienced first hand and as history has dictated throughout time, despite all of the weapons that we have developed, there is still nothing as powerful as the pen, which is indeed – as they say – mightier than the sword. I suggest that the next time an adversarial situation arises in your life, pick up the most powerful weapon there is – and witness its power first hand.