Most everyone has a mouth, some of them bigger than others. So what are those of us who have ears to do when those mouths spout opinions we grow tired of hearing?
Do we respond with our own thoughts, as well-informed or misguided as they may be, simply to drown out the others’ incessant bloviating?
Or do we tune them out and ignore the message and messenger, satisfied that we heard them the first time? And the second. And the third.
The first option seems counterproductive and as pointless as placing two blaring stereo speakers face to face in the hopes of creating silence.
The second approach feels slightly more palatable than the first but under certain circumstances might be impossible.
I’ve done a thorough job of ignoring the obnoxiously opinionated Donald Trump as he travels around the country making his case for the Republican nomination to be President of the United States.
(Likewise I’ve tuned out Hillary Clinton’s doublespeak and backpedaling as she attempts to be the Democrat’s choice for POTUS).
Generally I don’t pay much mind to presidential campaigns until the fall of the year prior to the election because the field is still too crowded and, most importantly, I have a life and interests outside of politics.
While it’s never been a challenge to ignore Trump—he’s as interesting as a self-promoting realtor turned motivational speaker hyped up on Red Bull and Pixy Stix—this time around I can’t help but faintly hear the white noise he generates as he looks for the support to land him in the White House.
No doubt the 24-hour news cycle mixed with the never ending chatter on social media have made escaping his vitriol and fear-mongering almost impossible to escape. But is escaping and tuning out really the way to go?
Based on what little I’ve heard—and read—about Trump’s campaign platform there’s little he and I have in common.
His ideas are nothing new. Nevertheless his message seems to have struck a chord with a growing number of people.
And that is what makes dismissing him questionable.
In the past there were the Minute Men with their anti-Mexican shut the border rhetoric that yelled and bellowed raised ruckus in various communities. Then there was the Tea Party faction that, in its own way, presented their ideas in a similar fashion and gummed up the works of civil governance for a time.
No matter how much you ignore them the messengers and their message—whether its right wing extremism or liberal tripe—does not go away.
Ultimately, in this age of information overload, it seems there is no escape from the noise. Enjoy the silence when you can. And let me know where you find it.
