Some sayings make me stop and think. I jot these down and let them roll around on my desk and in my mind for some time. Other twistings of the English language irritate me. Join me as we consider these latest missives.
Freedom Requires Honesty
“A free government requires honesty to remain free.”
Why must we be honest to remain free? Continuous lying divides people. Soon, there will be arguments; one side is pitted against the other, then someone emerges as the leader. Usually, it’s a bully. Bullies are oppressive, robbing others of free lines of communication. Think about it!
Teach Your Children Well
“If you want to know what a country really thinks, don’t believe what they say until you verify what they teach their children. (Also) Read their governing documents.”
While this makes a lot of sense, it also makes you think about what Americans teach their children (or what they used to teach their children, as the case may be). Our governing documents, however, speak for themselves. They have been imitated but never duplicated successfully in practice, which makes one ponder why this is so.
Defeat Evil
“You cannot bargain with evil. There is no paying evil off. You can’t change the heart of evil. You can only defeat evil.”
Some people find this a hard truth to digest. They believe that kindness can change an evil heart. The truth is, the only way to deal with evil is to confront and defeat it.
Perfectly Clear Isn’t Clear At All
“Let me be perfectly clear.”
This phrase has become all too common to the point of diminishing returns. When anyone says this, my brain immediately translates it into, “Let me control the narrative– and you.” This saying is overused and losing impact.
Words have meaning. They also have power to enlighten us or manipulate us. It’s best to take time to reflect on them. Stop and think. This will cause us to choose our own words wisely.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship. 🇺🇸
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