OK, so not really.
I don’t want to put my life on the line in exchange for you to be nice to me and others.
I am NOT that brave.
The idea here was to be dramatic and grab your attention.
I guess my Mass Communications major is paying off...
I’m sure you, like me, studied the American Revolution in grade school. I still remember having to memorize and present the last paragraph of Patrick Henry’s impassioned “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech.
Perhaps it is the recent 4th of July holiday that has me waxing philosophically on this subject.
I’m not sure if it was the fact that I was raised within 25 minutes of the site of this speech, or that Henry was born in the county I grew up in or merely the fact that the concept of freedom spoke to my soul, but his words moved me and informed me.
My point here is: just like in the time of Patrick Henry, we are in a time of turbulence and change where opinions and passions have a polarizing power.
The difference is that Henry made his declaration face to face to his opposition, but now we have the power and anonymity of social media that serves to embolden us all. Within seconds we can splatter our thoughts and opinions on any subject across the nation and the world. Often without research or regard for the person on the other end.
While we will never agree on everything, we seem to have increased our ability to say mean things. We say things on social media that we would never say to someone’s face.
Bravado behind a nondescript icon is a growing phenomenon in our society.
Naturally, we have a kaleidoscope of emotions and opinions surrounding a variety of topics, and the fact that we can freely express them is a foundational element that makes America great.
However, it is with as much passion as Henry, that I implore us all to pause before posting.
Keep in mind: cruelty is crippling.
To the person. To the cause. To the society as a whole. An overarching atmosphere of negativity has a paralyzing power.
My proposition is that we all endeavor to encourage one another. Even in the midst of conflict and disagreement, we can choose to be kind and to lift each other up.
Listen. Share. Uplift. Encourage.
(Colonial Williamsburg’s site is a great resource for background on Henry's speech as well as a dramatic reenactment of it: http://www.history.org/almanack/life/politics/giveme.cfm)