McCallion
Quest

Is using a Public Forum to share your opinions and disgust on political decisions the right thing to do?

  By: Shandi Mitchell, Editor

 “We live in fictitious times. We live in a fictitious time with fictitious election results that elect fictitious presidents. We live in a time when we have a man sending us to war for fictitious reasons. We are against this war Mr. Bush. Shame on you. Shame on you!”

 For those of you who watched the Oscars on Sunday, March 16, 2003, you would recognize that Michael Moore, while accepting his Oscar for his documentary film, ‘Bowling For Columbine,’ made this statement. His comments were greeted by a mixture of polite applause and loud chorus of boos from the audience. When he was questioned backstage about his outburst, he said, “ I’m an American, and you don’t leave your citizenship when you enter the doors of the Kodak Theatre. What’s great about this country is that you can speak your mind.”

But the issue isn’t about whether you should have the right to speak your mind or not, it’s about the manner in which you express yourself. I’m not saying that Michael Moore was right, or wrong, to express his opinion. But considering the fact that war is such a sensitive subject, and the opinions of the audience were varied, the way he stated his opinion was inappropriate for that time and place.

People go to the Oscars, and watch them as a form of entertainment. A more respectful and considerate statement would have come across just as well. For example, Adrien Brody, another Oscar winner, expressed his opinion on the war by stating, “Whether you believe in God or Allah, may He watch over you and let’s pray for a peaceful and swift resolution.” Despite the fact he used the event of the Oscars to share his opinion, his speech was tactful, considerate and he received a standing ovation.

People using public forums to air their grievances and to express their disgust over the decisions made by politicians need to stop and think if they are doing the right thing. It is true that the constitutions of both the United States and Canada allow us the freedom of free speech. No one is saying that you can’t do it…the better question is if you ‘should’ do it. As Henry Thoreau once said, “there is a time for daring and a time for caution, and a wise man knows which one is called for.” Mr. Moore needed to recognize this.

Respecting the rights of others and considering their feelings is being cautious…and wise. And, with everything going on in the world today, that is what we need more than any given right to free speech. Today, in our society, we need more respect, peace and consideration for everything. As our teachers often tell us, “if you can’t say anything worth listening to, it’s best to keep quiet.”