Words Matter: Freedoms come with responsibility

We live in a passionate country. We’re passionate about our family, our work, our sports, and our politics. People who use their passions effectively are able to compose themselves in a way that allows them to keep strong emotions under control while putting their skills and energy into action. Not understanding our emotions could mean the difference between advocate and psychotic. This is particularly absent from people who tend to be unstable, which unfortunately we too often find out in the aftermath of a tragedy.

The tragic shooting rampage that took place in Tuscon, Arizona last weekend which claimed six lives including a federal judge and injured many others, one of which was Congresswoman Gabriella Giffords is an unfortunate example of what happens when passion is acted upon without control of emotion. Political passion is unlike any other. Wide-ranging and affecting so many different aspects of everyday life, it can boil the blood of even the most uninformed citizens, much less the ones who allow it to consume their lives.

The finger pointing and speculation as to why this happened has already begun. Liberals are blaming Conservatives and vice versa. Gun and mental health advocates are staking out their positions. Others say it was an isolated event carried out by a crazed person influenced by no one other than himself. Conspiracy theorists are concocting their own farfetched opinions which I tend to ignore in order to keep my own sanity.

Perhaps the most constructive action that results from this tragedy is a discussion on the affect words have on people. The political discourse has been quite volatile over recent years. Fueled by sensationalism from public officials, party leaders, and talk show hosts from across the political spectrum, the toll of being told almost daily various reasons why our country is on the decline will continue to be felt if not changed. Those that share their opinions and viewpoints to millions of supporters, listeners or viewers each day have brushed off criticism of their powerful words in ignorance or maybe it’s arrogance that their popularity depends on. They can’t admit there’s a problem, so you know they won’t want to be part of the solution.

Many of us can control our emotions when we hear such strongly worded opinions, but it’s the unstable that act on those feelings. While anti-government sentiment is a part of our American democracy, it leads to an overall lack of respect for traditions and institutions our country was founded upon. This isn’t about right or left-wing extremism; it’s about exchanging the sensational for the sensible and bringing it into the majority. The shooter in this instance was obviously disturbed and no one can be blamed for his actions, but if there wasn’t a problem with the political tone before, then why have public officials at least, been more careful with their choice of words in recent days. It’s almost as if they want to bring decency to the table.

I know a lot of very passionate Chiefs fans. A mild-mannered fan myself, I recognize the deep emotional attachment some of my friends have in watching them play. After a pretty good sized beating in last Sunday’s playoff game, it would have been easy to push the right buttons to set them off in frustration. Even with every right to do so, I chose not to because I knew of the possible negative reactions I could get if taken too seriously. The same could be applied to any MU, KU, or K-State fan at some time or another. Regular people display this kind of responsible behavior regularly that those with so much influence should learn more from because being the loudest person isn’t always strength and disagreeing without being disagreeable isn’t weakness.