calicokath: Stop! Look! Listen! That’s not enough any more!
How on earth did we get to the point in this country where there are hordes of pundits who can espouse what is wrong with this country without many of them taking the time to even outline how to fix the economy, the Electoral College, yank control of our congress from the lobbyists?
I am not talking about any of my friends who blog. Yes, quite true, they have their opinions. If you read them regularly, you learn that they have solutions to problems, too.
I would be interested hearing what you think about this. The bloggers linked above are very bright and immensely opinionated people. And, yet the most important thing is that they are courageous. They do not cower in the corner whispering their opinions. They publish them and take a lot of heat from the nay sayers.
And, the silent majority sits by and allows this to continue. YOU NEED TO SPEAK UP.
I am writing this because I noticed something while gathering information about commenters on blogs: most of the ones who blow the hottest vile air, don’t have a blog at all. If a site requires them to register for a journal or diary, they do that, but do not give their e mail addresses, write blogs on that site, nor do they blog anywhere else. They hide in their anonymity. They can be bold enough to nay say and tear apart someone else’s opinion, but they don’t have the courage to publish their opinions. They are bullies. Wonder if they have glass jaws?
I think this bullying spills over into our daily lives. When we hear something controversial and watch the author or speaker get smeared, most of us sit by and do nothing. We don’t want to get involved. I think this attitude has reached a crisis point. When nearly everyone sits by and doesn’t want to get involved with any issue, that only fuels the bullies to do it again.
When is the last time you wrote a letter to the editor, told anyone that they are full of hot air?
We used to be a nation of people who spoke their minds to improve situations. Now, I think only a few of us do that and the rest of us sit by and do nothing. That is why they call us the silent majority.
If you want anything to improve in our country, it is time for you to find your voice. The next time the good guys are smeared, do something: make a comment, don’t let the bullies win the day.
Think of it this way. What would happen if all of you who heard something misleading said on a newscast wrote a letter to the editor AND stopped buying the products made by the company whose ads finance the broadcast.
I think if this started to happen on a regular basis, we could change the role of the audience and get unbiased news.
My amusement lately is watching the Union-Tribune desperately seek readers while we walk past their solicitors and loudly tell them, “No, I’m not buying your BIASED paper!” Meanwhile I support other local papers that give me the real news, rare as they are. I support my blogging friends who report the truth to us. I support the politicians, like Barbara Boxer, who are brave enough to say what needs to be said today. I talk to the PBS solicitors and let them know I won’t support them tell the winger nut now in charge of PBS is gone.
I won’t set foot in a WalMart. I support local growers, especially organic growers. I write letters, I sign petitions, I make phone calls. Is it enough to change anything? Well, it’s a start. If enough other people do it too, we can change things. No today, not tomorrow, but soon. The tide will turn, the pendulum will swing. But we gotta do our bit, folks.
Get loud, get proud – get your opinions out there. They need to be heard, people!
And to my brother who thinks I’m too political – hey, you’re the one who voted for McGovern back when they wanted to draft your butt. I’ve got two teen-age boys to think about, here! ;^)
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