2008 Woodie Awards
History is written by the winners
Shannon Morgan
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
I once heard someone say that history is written by the winners.
It occurred to me that if that statement is true it’s important for us to define what it is we are fighting for in these very uncertain times.
I’m not only referring to the war in Iraq.
Make no mistake, the battle we are fighting goes beyond improvised explosive devices and armored Humvees.
We’re fighting to define ourselves as a country: who we are, what we stand for and where we are going.
We live in a perpetual state of orange, of heightened security, of building walls on our boarders and of profiling for terrorists; everyone is suspect, no one is safe and no one is innocent.
Because it’s gotten to this point I feel it’s time for each of us to really educate ourselves about our leaders, our government, our allies, our enemies and each other.
I regret that it’s only been in the last year or so that I’ve been on a quest to seek these answers out for myself and I find that I’m not alone.
When you stop and ask yourself a few simple questions, it starts to become clear just how much you don’t know or are misinformed about.
Now, more than ever, it’s been affirmed to me that we need to reject the propaganda machine that tells us what to think, how to act and how to vote.
We need to break past the stereotypes and misinformation that keeps us feeling so separate and isolated from other people who inhabit our country.
Even more importantly, we need to look past our fear. To submit to our fear is to submit to control. Real freedom and progress can only be won through our continued education and commitment to each other.
I often wonder if people truly want progress and positive change, or if they just want to cement their superiority over the other party.
This is something I see on all sides of the arguments we see played out in the media and in this very newspaper.
When I first came up with the concept of my podcast show “On the Flipside” my mission was to present both sides of an issue in an effort to find understanding.
I found this hard to do because parties from both sides of the issue didn’t really want to talk about it in such an open forum.
I don’t understand that.
Is it because it’s harder to insult someone’s character when they are sitting right across from you and everyone can hear it?
Character attacks are now so common I can almost predict the kinds of comments on the articles I write that are published on The Arbiter website and the names they will call me.
As soon as we slap a label on something we give ourselves permission to shut down and disengage from the debate. “Oh she’s just a fire-breathing feminist Liberal. I don’t have to listen to her.” or “He’s just a hate-mongering Hitler youth Conservative. I don’t have to listen to him.”
For the record, I’m listening and I give a damn. So if anyone wants to engage in this “intellectual dialog” sign me up, I’d be happy to participate.
We all need to step into the role of being the winners that write history.
It’s time we grow up and learn to listen and respect for each other, even when we don’t agree.
It occurred to me that if that statement is true it’s important for us to define what it is we are fighting for in these very uncertain times.
I’m not only referring to the war in Iraq.
Make no mistake, the battle we are fighting goes beyond improvised explosive devices and armored Humvees.
We’re fighting to define ourselves as a country: who we are, what we stand for and where we are going.
We live in a perpetual state of orange, of heightened security, of building walls on our boarders and of profiling for terrorists; everyone is suspect, no one is safe and no one is innocent.
Because it’s gotten to this point I feel it’s time for each of us to really educate ourselves about our leaders, our government, our allies, our enemies and each other.
I regret that it’s only been in the last year or so that I’ve been on a quest to seek these answers out for myself and I find that I’m not alone.
When you stop and ask yourself a few simple questions, it starts to become clear just how much you don’t know or are misinformed about.
Now, more than ever, it’s been affirmed to me that we need to reject the propaganda machine that tells us what to think, how to act and how to vote.
We need to break past the stereotypes and misinformation that keeps us feeling so separate and isolated from other people who inhabit our country.
Even more importantly, we need to look past our fear. To submit to our fear is to submit to control. Real freedom and progress can only be won through our continued education and commitment to each other.
I often wonder if people truly want progress and positive change, or if they just want to cement their superiority over the other party.
This is something I see on all sides of the arguments we see played out in the media and in this very newspaper.
When I first came up with the concept of my podcast show “On the Flipside” my mission was to present both sides of an issue in an effort to find understanding.
I found this hard to do because parties from both sides of the issue didn’t really want to talk about it in such an open forum.
I don’t understand that.
Is it because it’s harder to insult someone’s character when they are sitting right across from you and everyone can hear it?
Character attacks are now so common I can almost predict the kinds of comments on the articles I write that are published on The Arbiter website and the names they will call me.
As soon as we slap a label on something we give ourselves permission to shut down and disengage from the debate. “Oh she’s just a fire-breathing feminist Liberal. I don’t have to listen to her.” or “He’s just a hate-mongering Hitler youth Conservative. I don’t have to listen to him.”
For the record, I’m listening and I give a damn. So if anyone wants to engage in this “intellectual dialog” sign me up, I’d be happy to participate.
We all need to step into the role of being the winners that write history.
It’s time we grow up and learn to listen and respect for each other, even when we don’t agree.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Thinker
posted 3/08/07 @ 8:44 PM MST
Funny that Shannon Morgan would decry "labels" when she employed them in her defense of the Vagina Monologues just two weeks ago...
James
posted 3/09/07 @ 12:24 AM MST
That's the only thing you could think of to say after reading this? Yes, you've proven what an amazing "thinker" you really are. We should all be wowed and amazed with your intellect. (Continued…)
A. Hernandez
posted 3/09/07 @ 12:14 PM MST
It's hard to take a hypocrit seriously, especially a bomb-throwing columnist who, after months of ad hominem name calling, writes a column decrying such conduct. (Continued…)
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