Words Matter
As the country directs its attention to the violence in Tucson, the news cycle churns out segments and the talking heads talk. It is a reminder that words matter. My words, your words, the words of people we listen to over the air (or online). The words we read in newspapers, magazines, and blogs. How diverse is your listening, reading or writing? (see: Arizona Shootings: We Need to Stop Talking About Politics as War)
My listening and reading has changed. I read less online news coverage (The New York Times, LA Times, Wallstreet Journal, my local paper are a few I do read) based in this nation and more from the perspective of other nations (BBC World / EU News). What do the Europeans think of what is happening in this nation? What I observe is a mix of both sympathy and reality. It was the same response back on Sept. 11, 2001. As much as other peoples sympathize with the current level of violence, dysfunction and uncertainty in the United States of America they also know this kind of violence and dysfunction exists in every direction of the compass; and has for a long time. Our news has become more entertainment rather than information, sound bite rather than fact oriented. We are a free and open society where citizens, mentally balanced and not, consume all kinds of things: dollars, weapons, religion, news, words, art, ideology. Some have more ability than others to filter, sort, and order.
I’m grateful to Laura for her posting of words from former senator Robert F. Kennedy on her Facebook page.
Whenever any American’s life is taken by another American unnecessarily – whether it is done in the name of the law or in the defiance of law, by one man or a gang, in cold blood or in passion, in an attack of violence or in response to violence – whenever we tear at the fabric of life which another man has painfully and clumsily woven for himself and his children, the whole nation is degraded. (Robert F. Kennedy, April 5, 1968)
She linked to the entire text of his remarks from 1968. Here is two of my favorite paragraphs from Kennedy’s remarks:
Yet we seemingly tolerate a rising level of violence that ignores our common humanity and our claims to civilization alike. We calmly accept newspaper reports of civilian slaughter in far off lands. We glorify killing on movie and television screens and call it entertainment. We make it easy for men of all shades of sanity to acquire weapons and ammunition they desire.
Too often we honor swagger and bluster and the wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others. Some Americans who preach nonviolence abroad fail to practice it here at home. Some who accuse others of inciting riots have by their own conduct invited them.
This kind of rhetoric, this kind of national world view is needed, but few of our nation’s leaders are capable, it seems to me, to get beyond their ego to find this depth. An example from this week are the two representatives that believed they could attend a fundraiser, disguised as a celebration of their re-election to Congress, and embrace the oath of office by watching the oath via TV. Who in their party’s leadership approved their absence? Is there any consequences for their actions or does their class give them a pass? Their actions clearly put raising money for future elections above their duty to receive the oath to represent the people’s business. Now, their political leadership and party, are trying to undo what they clearly knew to be wrong. To claim that they didn’t know it was wrong disrespects those that taught them civics in high school and the electorate. Where are the serious leaders of our time (Independent, Republican, Democrat, religious, agnostic, art, or music)?
Follow this link to read all of former Senator Kennedy’s remarks from 1968.
that could only be used in my car. Not only was there a monthly fee but it also cost .25 cents a minute to use it after making just 10 calls during a month. Technology has drastically changed since my first full-time youth ministry gig in 1991 and most of the time it has made the pragmatics of doing youth ministry easier. But, just as technology has helped those who plan and participate in youth ministry it has also brought challenges. Helping parents understand what their children and youth can connect to is an ongoing task just as tough as helping young people understand that once you have a digital footprint there is nothing you can do to erase it. Are you old enough to remember the threatening tone from a teacher, mentor, or parent: “You know things like this will go on your permanent record and follow you the rest of your life.” In a hard copy world I doubt that would have happened though for a time I believed it. In the digital world it most certainly happens. One photo uploaded to Facebook, Myspace, or anywhere else for that matter just created a digital footprint that will be accessible by someone long after you have closed your subscription or deleted the image.