The Pen is Mightier...

...than the 15 second "sound-bite". At least it should be more powerful. Fifteen second sound-bites lend themselves to sloganeering, trivializing of issues, "creative editing", and sensationalism. Good writing lends itself to thoughtfulness, self-examination, and critical thinking. The last post on this blog suggested just saying no to shrill voices that do not foster a civil discussion of issues. Today's suggestion is to just say "yes" to reading widely good writers of varied political positions. A good place to start is by reading several good "op-ed" columnists in a variety of newspapers (On-line reading of op-ed selections counts too.). Serious, civil debate of issues can never be reduced to 15 second sound bites, nor to two-word slogans.

Raise Your Right Hand and Repeat After Me...

It's been over 4 months since the last post to "Gentle Answer" and with the rhetoric of the 2012 U.S. presidential election heating up, it's not too early to make some commitments toward achieving a more civil, thoughtful discussion of issues that impact the lives of people. The first commitment is to "turn-off" the shrill voices that feed their own egos through name-calling, labeling, speaking in broad generalities, and who deal in half-truths taken out of context. If your sensibilities run toward the conservative side, you know who those voices are; so too if your convictions run toward the more liberal side, you know who those voices are. In one of the first posts to this blog, I encouraged us to "just say no"; "unplug" from all who demean, vilify, and demonize fellow humans beings. We recognize those voices that pander to our prejudices and fears and if those voices are to give way in the public discourse to civil discussion, it will be up to us to "turn them off" and refuse to give them time and attention. It matters not whether we agree philosophically with those shrill voices; if civility is to be restored, it will start with a rejection of the voices that sow fear, mistrust, hate, and discord.

Now, raise your right hand and repeat after me...