Sound Bites
For the past hour I have been searching for a word, which I know nd has been in my memory bank for years. I have not located it. Part of me knows that it is not important. I can certainly state the meaning of the word. The basic meaning that has to do with appearing to say something in a profound way without really adding to anyone’s fund of knowledge. For example, if I say, “The red dress is red.” And I say it in a very authoritative manner it may sound as if I had said something but, of course, I have said nothing at all. Of course, the red dress is red. What other color would a red dress be.
I was thinking of this example while reading the morning paper. I have been particularly interested in recent events which make it seems as if African Americans have been profiled by some police officers. Although this accusation has been common for some time, recently thee have been more killing of unarmed African American men by police officers. Not surprisingly the reaction from many has been the profiling of police officer. The United States Justice Department has, in one case, documented a history of some police departments treating African American different than Caucasians or those who appear to be Caucasian or who appear to be any race other than African Americans.
Racial profiling is, of course, a way of finger pointing or assuming a certain class/group of people is more likely to do something than are other groups or classes of people. Profiling law enforcement officer is another generalization that assumes that police officer are more likely than the society at large to be racist; that perhaps people who think in racism terms are more likely to be police officers.
Adjectives or nouns can be a handy way of identifying a group of people, places or things. Words/terms such as racist, criminally prone, druggies, blacks, poor, pigs, enemy, and many others are often rallying calls to stir up a group of people who can then feel empowered to demonstrate, call for action or occasionally even set up more potentially productive venues for problem solving.
It is easy to see the attraction of using what my friend, Barbara, calls sound bites – phases which appear to say something which say nothing at all (usually she has been pointing out my tendency to use sound bites in an argument as opposed to having a real civilized debate/discussion). I may say something in a very authoritative voice, but, in fact, I have said nothing which adds to the fund of knowledge or leads to problem solving. I obviously understand how easy and convenient it is for us to fall into this trap.
Of course, sound bites sell newspapers and work well in other media. Our collective outrage can make it seem as if we are doing something when it fact we are making it easier for others to succumb to the temptation of responding with sound bites. We have all see this between groups of people. We have also seen a similar dynamic in families. Those of us who have done couple or family therapy are well aware of how easy it is for couples and families to engage in what I call this tennis game.
Another wonderful example of the use of sound bites was in an article about the NRA convention in Nashville this weekend. Wayne LaPierre, the executive director and CEO of the NRA is quoted as saying:
There’s no telling how far President Obama will go to dismantle our freedom and reshape American into an American that you and I will not recognize… And when he is finished he intends to go out with a coronation of Hilary Rodman Clinton.
Words such as dismantle, reshape and coronation make for wonderful sound bites.
Obviously sound bites are often effective or they would not be used.
Having a real discussion may take a lot of intense scratching of our heads, research, taking risk of finding out that we do not know enough to have a cogent discussion.
Sound bites also make it very easy to avoid looking at myself. For example if I am hurling the term racist at someone else I do not have to honestly face the extent to which I have internalized racism and, which, therefore continues to affect how I think and act. If I am honest I know that despite my honest attempt to identify the extent to which I have allowed subtle forms of racism to affect my thinking, I have not rid myself of an the nuances of this condition knows as racism.
It is also easy to just discount anything that the NRA officials or others have to say as “conservative, reactionary, and provincial” or whatever. Sadly, for me, the members of the NRA do not fit into a neat, little box any more than I do.
Early this morning when I was thinking about this subject my initial thought was that I would write about the limited thinking of those others; about those who appear to say something profound without saying anything of import at all. That is why I was attempt to think of that word which I still cannot think of – that words which so aptly describes sound bites. This is always the temptation – to point fingers. Writing then flows. When I resist that temptation words often arrive on my computer one at a time often with intervals of several minutes. I other words I actually have to think!
The good news is, of course, that we can practice, non-judgmentally catching ourselves and forcing ourselves to think about the fact that we are play a role in creating conditions and situations which enhance the journey for all of us.
For the past hour I have been searching for a word, which I know nd has been in my memory bank for years. I have not located it. Part of me knows that it is not important. I can certainly state the meaning of the word. The basic meaning that has to do with appearing to say something in a profound way without really adding to anyone’s fund of knowledge. For example, if I say, “The red dress is red.” And I say it in a very authoritative manner it may sound as if I had said something but, of course, I have said nothing at all. Of course, the red dress is red. What other color would a red dress be.
I was thinking of this example while reading the morning paper. I have been particularly interested in recent events which make it seems as if African Americans have been profiled by some police officers. Although this accusation has been common for some time, recently thee have been more killing of unarmed African American men by police officers. Not surprisingly the reaction from many has been the profiling of police officer. The United States Justice Department has, in one case, documented a history of some police departments treating African American different than Caucasians or those who appear to be Caucasian or who appear to be any race other than African Americans.
Racial profiling is, of course, a way of finger pointing or assuming a certain class/group of people is more likely to do something than are other groups or classes of people. Profiling law enforcement officer is another generalization that assumes that police officer are more likely than the society at large to be racist; that perhaps people who think in racism terms are more likely to be police officers.
Adjectives or nouns can be a handy way of identifying a group of people, places or things. Words/terms such as racist, criminally prone, druggies, blacks, poor, pigs, enemy, and many others are often rallying calls to stir up a group of people who can then feel empowered to demonstrate, call for action or occasionally even set up more potentially productive venues for problem solving.
It is easy to see the attraction of using what my friend, Barbara, calls sound bites – phases which appear to say something which say nothing at all (usually she has been pointing out my tendency to use sound bites in an argument as opposed to having a real civilized debate/discussion). I may say something in a very authoritative voice, but, in fact, I have said nothing which adds to the fund of knowledge or leads to problem solving. I obviously understand how easy and convenient it is for us to fall into this trap.
Of course, sound bites sell newspapers and work well in other media. Our collective outrage can make it seem as if we are doing something when it fact we are making it easier for others to succumb to the temptation of responding with sound bites. We have all see this between groups of people. We have also seen a similar dynamic in families. Those of us who have done couple or family therapy are well aware of how easy it is for couples and families to engage in what I call this tennis game.
Another wonderful example of the use of sound bites was in an article about the NRA convention in Nashville this weekend. Wayne LaPierre, the executive director and CEO of the NRA is quoted as saying:
There’s no telling how far President Obama will go to dismantle our freedom and reshape American into an American that you and I will not recognize… And when he is finished he intends to go out with a coronation of Hilary Rodman Clinton.
Words such as dismantle, reshape and coronation make for wonderful sound bites.
Obviously sound bites are often effective or they would not be used.
Having a real discussion may take a lot of intense scratching of our heads, research, taking risk of finding out that we do not know enough to have a cogent discussion.
Sound bites also make it very easy to avoid looking at myself. For example if I am hurling the term racist at someone else I do not have to honestly face the extent to which I have internalized racism and, which, therefore continues to affect how I think and act. If I am honest I know that despite my honest attempt to identify the extent to which I have allowed subtle forms of racism to affect my thinking, I have not rid myself of an the nuances of this condition knows as racism.
It is also easy to just discount anything that the NRA officials or others have to say as “conservative, reactionary, and provincial” or whatever. Sadly, for me, the members of the NRA do not fit into a neat, little box any more than I do.
Early this morning when I was thinking about this subject my initial thought was that I would write about the limited thinking of those others; about those who appear to say something profound without saying anything of import at all. That is why I was attempt to think of that word which I still cannot think of – that words which so aptly describes sound bites. This is always the temptation – to point fingers. Writing then flows. When I resist that temptation words often arrive on my computer one at a time often with intervals of several minutes. I other words I actually have to think!
The good news is, of course, that we can practice, non-judgmentally catching ourselves and forcing ourselves to think about the fact that we are play a role in creating conditions and situations which enhance the journey for all of us.
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