Hey guys,
It's nice to be back. I'm trying something new tonight, which is just going off on a rant. I get these things that I feel passionate about and just rant on. Tonight's big thing: WORDS.
<side note>Ok the fact that I'm starting with a side note may not be a good thing. But I love my friends. SO much that I will do whatever I can to protect them in this whole blogging thing. So to do this, you may see the names of various celebrities or television characters throughout the site. This is how I'll refer to my friends. Don't think I ACTUALLY know these people, because I probably don't lol.</side note>
So I was talking to my friend earlier today who I'll call Johnny Mayer (they know who they are)... And we're speaking about the notion of people judging others. It got me to thinking that people are some of the most dangerous animals walking Earth. Why? Because we have the most powerful weapon in our arsenal and yet do not take responsibility for it's impact on the world.... What is this weapon? WORDS!
Words are the most powerful thing known to man. Screw guns, missiles, global warming... WORDS!!! Want to know why? I can say something to one person, and it translates completely differently to someone else. It's interesting how this works. It's like you put a dollar in the machine and the Sprite you hit the button for doesn't come out. Sometimes, you get a freakin Coke (and you know you love Pepsi over Coke). It's like hey the machine stole my damn dollar. Where in the hell is my Sprite???
More and more, I realize people are too reckless with their words. They don't take enough responsibility for the words they put out there. From hip-hop artists to politicians (FACTCHECK.ORG people... Hold McCain & Obama accountable for what they say) to freaking family members... It's just a full army of people, armed with a loaded rifle not knowing how to shoot. So they shoot any which-a-ways, end up hitting something other than their intended target, and then are so quick to say what is arguably the most OVERUSED phrase in American History (second to "I want to thank God" after receiving an award): "I'm SORRY." Or they're so quick to say "that's not what I meant..." Quick to say "you're twisting what I'm trying to say..." Or my favorite, "What about my first amendment right to free speech?" But the thing is once you've put those words out there, you can't take em back. And then you have to worry about how others receive those words. But yet again I realize, people don't think about it.
Now I, like others, always say, "I can't concern myself with how people receive what I'm trying to say." But I will admit that I've got it wrong. I think we have to in order to combat this irresponsible behavior that's infected everyone like a virus. It's not okay to use words to hurt someone, because you are inherently trying to demean and lower that person. For example, if your intent is genuine and this person has confided in you something of deep value or personal anguish to them, you can't call them stupid. What you do by saying that is 2 things... 1. You convey to that person that you think that you are better than them. Why? Because they're stupid and you are better at making decisions than they are. But that's not what you said right??? (Notice the intent.) 2. You convey that they are not on your level and because that's the case, you can't see yourself understanding why they made the decisions they made. But here's the thing. It's not your job to understand why someone does what they do. I think it's your job to say, "because I love you I will support. Because I don't understand, I'm going to use my better judgment that you have made a good decision." I could go down the aisle of hip-hop music, but that's a whole other article in itself. AND I REFUSE TO LOSE SLEEP OVER THAT CRAP TONIGHT!!!
It's not okay to use words to hurt people. It's not okay to be judgmental. IT'S NOT OKAY!!!!
In the words of Barack Obama, it's time for a Change We Need. Not tomorrow. TODAY... Not next week.TODAY... Not in the next year sometime. TODAY... It's time that we as a people become more aware of the words we use when talking to others; that we as a people understand the impact of our words on others; that we as a people understand the impact that we have on others' live. IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE WE NEED.... TODAY!
Ok now that I'm finished my pseudo speech, I want to empower anyone still reading to let 1 person know, when you see them making a negative comment or calling someone a name or laughing at others' misfortunes... Walk up to them, tap em on the shoulder and tell them "IT'S NOT OKAY THAT YOU JUST DID THAT!" That's how we can make a change... More than that, that's how we can get to the Change We Need TODAY!.
For anyone who's still reading, if you have any suggestions, tell me what you think. Tell me if you think I've got it wrong. Tell me if you think I've got it right. Tell me if I missed something. And until the next time, it's been real people.
-C.
P.S: Thanks Johnny. The next time I grab some Cold Stone and McDonalds (since I'm trying to win the $100,00 daily prize), I'll be sure to give ya a call.
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