Hello dear friends and watchers! I hope your day has been wonderful so far.
I have something I'd like to talk about. Today I came upon two very different videos, both communicating the exact same end message. The interesting thing was the completely different approach that each video took to presenting that message and I wish to address my thoughts on those differences in this journal. The topic is marriage rights.
I realize this video is from last year so maybe the points I'll bring up on it have already been made, but I only just saw it today:
Exhibit AThis video has a strong message and it's carrying it on its sleeve. I appreciate what it's trying to do and the points it brings up. What I don't appreciate, is how the message is being presented. I am one of those people in full and strong support of marriage rights for homosexuals (I'd love to marry a lady of my own someday!) but watching this video, having all these people yell and swear at me to support people's right to marry whomever they want, I honestly started feeling my support for it diminish. Based on the opening lines, this video is specifically aimed at the people who don't support marriage rights for homosexuals. So my thought is, "If someone's demeanor over an issue I
do care about is so confrontational and mean-spirited that it makes my own support for the issue wane, imagine what it could do to people who
don't support the issue?" With a campaign called "FCKH8" the video feels very hateful to me.
[Side note: I don't mean to single out the people in support of marriage rights as the only in your face, angry shouters. I know the other side has posted videos with just as strong a presentation. I am only using this one as an example]
And now the second video:
Exhibit BThis video presents the same side of that argument, makes just as strong a case for gay marriage and yet the speaker is presenting his case with such a kind, soft and earnest manner. His argument is just as strong, just as compelling, and his manner of delivery doesn't make me wish I were on the other side of the argument. It makes me want to join his and in a stronger capacity at that.
The point I'm trying to make is it's important to be strong and passionate about what you believe in, but there are perhaps better ways to present our opinions that might help others not just understand better, but actually want to
listen to that opinion. If we start a discussion by swearing, yelling and cussing out the person we're trying to convince, that could easily cause them to shut their brains off from the start and then none of the well-thought or researched points you want to make will matter. And if the other person "started it" by being mean to you first, reciprocating their wrongful behavior will not, in any way, persuade them either. This in no way means you should be any less passionate about what you believe in, but there's a difference between passion and yelling in someone's face.
Just some stuff to think on.