The Broad Stroke – Be careful “Don’t Say What you Mean”!
Be careful “Don’t Say What you Mean” or “Mean What You Say” it may not be publicly correct. Whether it’s a Facebook or Twitter post, or on any public forum or even a private conversation you could have a problem. We see it time and time again. People are getting fired, lambasted de-graded or even lose their jobs because of their opinion. Lines are blurred between what is public or private. What do you mean it’s a country of free speech, a basic principle the country was founded on?
You may not agree with Phil Robertson, Alec Baldwin, Martin Bashir, Don Imus, The Dixie Chicks, Rush Limbaugh, Polly Dean, Steve Colburn or anyone else but should there be public outrage? Does their opinion make them a bad person or should it even effect the overall opinion you may have had of them. What price should they actually? We tend to let one event control our opinion when some of the people do a world of good and are very good people. Do we all need to think a like? If we were one of the recipients receiving the money they donated to the many charities, we would like them and think they are the greatest.
In a recent incident at Belmont Park the day of the last Triple Crown race an owner who all week long had been the most friendly and accommodating of interviews that could ever be hoped for spoke his opinion after the race (in the heat of the moment) that was not a popular view. If the rules for Triple Crown races were to be re-written from the beginning there is a good chance his thoughts would be adapted. His thoughts had a lot of merit, but would have made the history of the race err-relevant. Regardless of the emotions of the moment he is a straight forward, truth speaking, tell it like it is person who was more honest and to the point than those who would ask him to be deceitful and “Publicly Correct”.
It is true that diplomacy is a great attribute and that we should be careful not to offend others but that wasn’t really the case. Was anyone offended? In my day good sportsmen ship was first and foremost. But come on this was a possible Triple Crown Winner. Imagine the pressure, I don’t think anyone could Imagine. It is also true folks should be able to speak what they perceive to be the truth and believe and hopefully it could be a growing experience for all concerned and no one gets persecuted. In other words “Free Speech”. That’s the Broad Stroke.
