Setting an example with our words, actions
By Melissa Rollins, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
The adage ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all’ was thrown around a lot when I was younger. And by thrown around, I mean repeated again and again to my peers and myself. Another phrase, most frequently coming from the mouths of my peers and not our parents, is ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.’
These phrases may seem silly or childish but they speak a lot to the way that I was raised; I was raised to be strong but also polite. I was raised to respect authority but also to respect my peers; everyone mattered.
As one of four children, people often seemed amazed that my siblings and I were so polite and well behaved in public. It never occurred to me that we should be anything else.
These days, politeness seems more of an afterthought than ever before, if it is thought of at all.
It used to be that people could ‘agree to disagree’ but now that’s not acceptable. If two people don’t agree, both sides will argue until they are blue in the face to try and prove that the other side is wrong; rarely does anyone change their mind.
The internet has done nothing to change this. If anything, it has made these arguments easier to start.
The comment section on stories posted on the internet has become a Mecca for people looking to shout their opinion from the highest point until all the world knows what they believe. That’s fine. Just remember that everyone else is entitled to do the same. And, honestly, words do hurt. It amazes me how quickly a simple disagreement turns to mud slinging and insults.
In a time where politics has become so divisive, it appears that we need to be reminded that what we say matters.
There have been countless stories in the news in recent years of teenagers, and children even younger, committing suicide because they were being bullied. Often times, the parents of these kids didn’t even know what was happening because there was no physical evidence that their children were being bullied; everything was happening online and through social media.
It is easy to brush that off and say that it is just kids being kids but what about the adults who are using the same platforms to bully others?
There is a place for dialogue on issues that are important. There should never be a place for someone to be harassed simply because of what they believe or because of their physical appearance, two things that too often are bait for the trolls that find their victims online.
Parents need to warn their children of the dangers of the internet, both those people pretending to be something they are not and those who get joy from others’ pain. But adults also need to set the example and show that civility and kindness don’t have to be lost to the faceless internet culture.
I have a friend who regularly shares quotes from Mister Rogers on their Facebook page. Perhaps unbeknownst to her, I was quite a fan of his growing up. He had a lot to say about kindness and acceptance. As I look back, he was speaking as much to adults as he was to children.
I will close this column by leaving you with two thoughts from Mister Rogers:
“It’s very dramatic when two people come together to work something out. It’s easy to take a gun and annihilate your opposition, but what is really exciting to me is to see people with differing views come together and finally respect each other.”
“Being able to resolve conflicts peacefully is one of the greatest strengths we can give our children.”
Melissa Rollins is the editor of the News and Press. She can be reached at editor@newsandpress.net