Don't Let Them Speak For You!

Don’t Let Them Speak For You

I was talking with a couple of candidates running for office in Oregon yesterday.

One of them asked me what the biggest problem I see in Oregon and I told him, “The Voiceless.”

I think what Oregonians need to know is that their voice matters and push until they are heard.

After two years of “control by you know who” people are afraid to speak up about what they really think, and I get it.

When on group of people has owned the conversation for so long, it’s hard to share again but sharing is how it’s supposed to work and this one-sided, one-size fits all mentality is not Oregon and it doesn’t fly anymore.

The door is open and we aren’t letting it shut without a (-ight)

There are some nasty folks out here who believe with everything that they are right, you are wrong and they will do anything to silence you. I have to believe they believe they are doing this for your own good. They really believe what they believe and by pushing they are saving you/us.

You and I know how arrogant that sounds but when the fa left or far right makes a religion out of their beliefs and ideology, blindness keeps them from seeing the voices they are muffling.

You have to ask yourself what are they so afraid of?

This is not just the left, bring up gubernatorial candidate Betsy Johnson and the far right fangs come clawing for your jugular.

Speaking out comes with a cost.

But so does being silent.

Your ideas matter. Your opinion has value. I’ve never seen the legacy media so in-bed with culture and as a former journalist it makes me sick.

I know the way this is supposed to work.

I understand fairness and not tainting stories with bias words.

You are not to take a side as a media person and yet that’s exactly what has happened and if you don’t see it it is because you are on the same team and you aren’t looking. Your ideology is here to save us (tongue and cheek) and nothing else matters.

For too long the silent majority has just tried to get along. Confrontation isn’t fun but to create a place where all ideas are brought to the table, often times you need to get uncomfortable.

We live in frightening or exciting times, it all depends on how you look at it.

I choose exciting. To watch people awaken from decades of slumber and start to ask amazing questions is a good thing.

When people bully and stoop to discrediting the messenger, you know you are taking ground.

Be kind, be firm, listen and be careful.

Don’t expect everyone to like your questions because when one group has owned the conversation for a long time, sharing is not easy and letting go a struggle.

But that’s okay.

Firm and gentle should be our method.

Listening, our artillery.

Asking questions, good questions, are strategy.

And keep asking until you get answers that reveal the truth.

Remember, your ideas are to be considered not extinguished.