Speech for yourself

It seemed as if this Blog-a-day month might last forever – or even longer. My head literally exploded trying to come up with topics each day. Needless to say, it was a very unique month.

After ranting about the poor writing in Newsweek magazine yesterday, I find myself feeling rather red-faced. My own writing – and even some of the lessons I’ve used to teach others to write news – doesn’t often reach the standards to which I wish all journalists would adhere.

My first paragraph offers a few examples of the kind of sloppy writing I would like to see disappear from the face of the earth forever.

Nothing can last longer than forever. When something happens “literally” it means exactly as written. And there are no degrees of uniqueness – it is an absolute.

I’ve come a long way since I took George Washington at his word and believed that presidents cannot tell lies. Now, I take just about everything they – and senators, mayors, even evangelical ministers – say with a healthy dose of cynicism.

To paraphrase a recent commander in chief, it all depends on what your definition of “truth” is.

I had lunch with a retired social studies teacher today. I suggested that the lessons taught in history and civics classes have been lost, for the most part, on most Americans.

Seeing that I had her attention, I decided to introduce a topic of discussion that I think few people have really analyzed.

“It’s interesting to me that so many people advocate an ‘English-only’ policy,” I began. “Doesn’t the First Amendment guarantee our right to use any words or phrases we like? Why wouldn’t that include choices of languages?”

It’s not likely that I am the first person to come up with this notion. But I haven’t heard it put forth. If I choose to use gibberish rather than words – or if I choose to sing every word I utter, or if I choose not to speak at all – am I not simply exercising my Constitutional rights?

I wish more Americans would spend time learning how to read and listen critically and would demand that our leaders be more clear, precise and (I know I’m dreaming) truthful.

Those who have not learned English are at a disadvantage; but they are not violating anyone’s rights – they’re just exercising their own. There are many behaviors that could be made illegal, but that should not because they limit people’s freedom.

Tomorrow is the last day of November, and the last day of NaBloPoMo.

Then we’ll have the weekend off.