We desperately need a moment of national silence and reflection. Silence should overwhelm, like a tsunami, the volume of our nasty and negative voices.
Only when we hear with an ear that seriously and sincerely considers the possibility of change, are we truly listening. We must have an open mind so that we can learn. There is no progress without change, and the conscious effort to learn. This approach and mindset supports two of our most basic and fundamental American virtues, honesty and public service.
What is the most important thing we can do to insure and preserve our right to free speech? Listening is perhaps the most critical responsibility for preserving free speech. What is free speech, really? It is two things. It is not only a right. It also includes a responsibility to listen.
When do words become illegal? When they are words uttered only for their own sake. Our words should have a positive direction and force behind them. They must simultaneously exercise and support our inalienable rights as articulated in the US Constitution. We are 200+ million American voters. When our collective voice calls us forward with a positive force, there is nothing we can’t accomplish. Without this positive voice, there is little that we can accomplish.
Call to action
There is a personal call to action here. We should all hang a mirror in our minds and look in it often. We should always see someone who is willing to listen. Someone who thinks them not me. This may seem counter intuitive, but this is the only way we can make personal progress and American progress. This is the only way we can find personal happiness and happiness as a country.
. . . remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her. America’s best days are ahead of her. They always have been and always will be.
Dave
Copyright © 2019 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved.