Suppose you are at a cocktail party and enjoying a drink. You feel yourself to be amongst interesting people. Some are strangers – some are acquaintances – some are friends. You keep silent but listen.
Today’s question is…what do you do when you hear something appalling? A person espousing a foul cause, or extolling some monstrous tyrant. A subtle or not-so-subtle piece of bigotry or hate speech. An invitation to become as foul as the speaker by listening to the rant. What do you do?
- Explode in rage, drawing all eyes and ears upon you as you publicly berate the offender.
- Become violent and strike the miscreant with the nearest weapon. Continue until they are dead.
- Burst into tears and wail inconsolably.
- Rise and throw the chains of slavery from you, becoming a new Messiah and super-hero to all social groups. Blaze forth glory from your face and cast tablets to the ground. Part the waters of the sea and raise the dead from their graves.
- Be taken by winged chariots through parted clouds of glory to sit at the right hand of God.
- Drift away toward the chips and dip and ignore the twit.
I review this list every time someone on Facebook makes a particularly stupid or repulsive statement. So far I have only done one of the things on the list, but I’m considering sampling the joys of others pretty soon.
Here All Week 