Speak Your Piece: Turn down the volume
We had a weekend of violence: shootings and murder in Minnesota; war, death and destruction in the Middle East; political turmoil and riots in our cities; defiance of federal laws and law enforcement: and nasty, loud politics.
And there were organized demonstrations in major cities against the president they termed a “wannabe king.” Democracy in action drowned out the good — a historic birthday celebration of the U.S. Army, Father’s Day and Flag Day.
During my Speak Your Piece show I discussed the weekend and expressed my ongoing disappointment at how our political culture is hate-filled, unproductive, too often violent, and unhealthy. And then I heard from a caller.
He mentioned hearing advertising for a movie with Olivia de Havilland, the 1930s and 1940s film star, coming up Tuesday on TV. I was thinking: What are you talking about? The world is on fire and you’re pushing an old-time, black and white (now colorized) film? Thankfully, I didn’t say this, because he was right.
There’s too much noise in our world, too much division. Our society is inundated via our phones, radio, TV, with fury. We need to reverse the change we’ve seen in our great country: Civility in politics is gone, the volume is high-decibel, and violence mars current disputes.
Caller, you’re so right: Sit back and watch a movie from another time, take a nature walk, or watch the clouds roll by.
Pat Wandling hosts Speak Your Piece, from which this commentary is adapted, weekdays at noon on WBCB 1490.
