“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
Not true, except perhaps for a person with a listening impairment.
And if we move from the singular “me” to a collective “me,” this old aphorism is even more wrong.
Words have power, and we are in a word storm, a storm that may have serious effects on the long-term health of our political and social environment.
Rancor among competitors, particularly among those in the political arena, is not new. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were two of our founders who had a particular dislike for the views of the other.
James Madison had his differences with James Monroe. And yet what they all accomplished together resulted in a government that has functioned well enough to create the strongest nation on the planet. While views differed strongly, discussion and debate were different than what we are seeing today.
How does it help when the debate includes things like “Crooked Hillary” and “Basket of Deplorables?”
Words like these in the media-rich environment of today are repeated to the point where regard for their users descends to a level not helpful or even healthy in the determination of who will lead the strongest nation on Earth.
And beyond the name calling, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg, recently quoted in the New York Times, provides an even stronger argument for civil discourse:
“When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune out. Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.”
Many of us have tuned out, and those who have not, and continue in the descending dialogue, resort to ever more ridiculous and desperate arguments. And much of the media plays along, knowing reality politics has an audience, and doing not much more than repeat the words and feed the storm.
All of this contributes to a sense of malaise, of disdain and dislike for “politicians.”
Well, we are all politicians, who need to exercise political skills in our daily lives in order to stay married, employed, and engaged in the life of the community in which we live. And part of that package of skills is a sense of humor, of humility, and acknowledgment of our own faults.
Our regard for Abraham Lincoln is based in large measure on a recognition of those qualities in him.
And finally, what leads a young person to take their own life and that of other children by wearing and exploding a bomb? Words.
Nov. 8, 2016, will arrive, and the storm should abate. But will it? Will winners and losers shake hands and say “just wait until next time?”
Just because we are not seeing much to admire in the current debates does not mean we should stop looking, listening, hoping, and using care in our own choice of words. And actions. Not knowing when to stop digging when you are in a hole certainly should be a matter of concern to the individual digging, but when that individual is a candidate for president, the concern extends much further.
Trust and confidence in the strength of our system is essential to its maintenance, and ultimately, its existence. It may be time to remake the Grand Old Party.
— Keith Mobley began law practice in The Dalles in 1971 and was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for the Oregon House in 1980. Shortly thereafter, he campaigned somewhat more successfully against the Rajneeshees as Antelope City Attorney. He departed for Oregon State University as assistant to the president in 1982, later worked for the Oregon Office of Educational Policy and Planning in Salem, and returned to law practice in 1998, based in Dufur. He was on the Oregon Public Broadcasting board from 2007-2016 and served as its chair for two of those years. He has been a “politician” since his graduation from Sherman High School in 1957.
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