That’s it! I’m done! This is ridiculous! I’m getting up on my soapbox now!…. but where is it?
Look around, do you ever see anyone getting up on a street corner or in the middle of a city square and start talking? If you do, you probably ignore them as some crazy nut. But that used to be the way we expressed our opinions. In the city I grew up in, there was a man known as “The Preacher” who spoke in front of the courthouse almost everyday. He would always get a good crowd, mainly homeless people. Around lunchtime a few people would sit cautiously on the outskirts of his ministry just to listen to him preach the good word. Or maybe for amusement. I always quickly walked by, avoiding the looney man who shouted.
But now I sit here writing an opinion blog, hidden in my anonymity and wonder if I could ever be as brave as that man. Could I bring my self to grab a sturdy wooden soapbox and go downtown and set up? Could I put together a stream of rhetoric that would influence others? I don’t think I could. The digital soapbox that is created here is as close as I’ll ever get to the masses.
What about you? Where is your soapbox? Do you write letters to the editor, do you visit sites like TellAllGram and send out anonymous messages? Or do you only hop on a soapbox in front of friends and family, or maybe only in your mind as you drive a crowded street?
Our society teaches us to hide our opinions, to not shout out. Why? When did we go from a nation of protesters to a nation of bobble heads! We sit around letting others speak for us and we simply nod and shake our head. Why don’t we argue for our own opinion. I don’t agree with everything my political party does or says. So why should I vote a straight ticket?
Go home, find your soapbox, and start shouting! We need to get back to the times of heated discussions and protests. We need to stop ignoring that man with the megaphone, and start yelling back! Now is the time to let your voice be heard! With so many mediums available to you to spread your opinion and your unique take on life there is no reason to sit at home as a meek mouse waiting for someone else to take up the charge! We are all Angry Anteaters, waiting to get loose!
