Preaching Peace: Shout It Out

Just a thought here - I've been hearing a lot about people shouting. Folks have been yelling at "town hall" forums and shouting at each other and at politicians. Pundits on television seem to shout a lot. It brings to mind some age old truths that somehow seem to have been misplaced in the popular culture mindset.

One truth is that if one's argument is based on the level of volume with which one espouses it, then it would seem that the level of volume is commensurate with the weakness of the argument. Wisdom cries out in the streets, but at a whisper. Truth does not require volume.

One of my favourite movies is Bad Day at Black Rock. The line I remember from that film, apart from when Ernest Borgnine tells Spencer Tracy, "I'm going to kick your lung out," is when Spencer Tracy tells one of the other characters, "Sir, you are not only mistaken, but you are mistaken at the top of your voice."

It doesn't matter how loud you shout it, you're still wrong.

I sat on a park bench with my brother the other day. We don't always see eye to eye on the issues, but we agree on many things. One of those being that if you are going to stand for something, then don't use cheap rhetoric in doing it. Think about your argument. And the more you think, the less apt you are to shout. And the less likely you are to shout, the more likely people will listen. They may not agree, but by listening, they are less likely to attack.

And that is what it's all about. Fewer people attacking each other. What a world that would be.

Take Care - John Mann