Responsible Speech can handle self criticism. Why? It's because responsible speech, though the motive of "getting something across" that the speaker/writer feels passionate about, is not out to "prove it is right." Suppose I say something in this blog that offends someone? Or, better yet, suppose I say something that isn't true, and someone calls me out on it? Well, I contend that a "responsible speech" response would not be to get into a "shouting" match. Among the motives of responsible speech are:
1. To want to get the facts right.
2. To be open to learn from others' opinions, views, perspectives, and
3. To say something accurately, without misrepresenting facts or spinning just to prove your point.
Responsible Speech comes from a place of wanting to be "responsible" about what one says. That means, the responsible speaker is not insecure about admitting mistakes and uncertainties.
With that in mind, I'm going to slightly "retract" something I said, because I want to research it more diligently before I make the claim. It is about what is typically considered "liberal" media. I'm reviewing some resources right now that help define what "liberal" is and is not. I'll adjust or correct what I said in a previous post when I feel I'm ready.
However, in the mean time, I will say clearly that I don't think it is "responsible speech" to claim something or someone is "liberal" by one or two traits perceived as "from the left.". A case in point, and this may make some people upset, was Glenn Beck's claim several months ago. It was to the effect that, if a church spoke about "Social Justice," it was a "left leaning" church. I believe he actually told people to steer away from any such churches. I can take this up in more detail in a future post, but I believe that such a "broad brush" painting of any group that merely uses the words "social justice" is not responsible speech.
I love the whole topic of this blog, Anthony; it's so refreshing to see someone pointing this stuff out. Increasingly, Canada is becoming as polarized as the US seems to be, and I think that irresponsible speech has a lot to do with that.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that there's a correlation between irresponsible speech and extremism? Does responsible speech decrease the further one moves from their in-crowd?
Great stuff!
Jeff
Thanks, Jeff, for replying. You are my first "customer!"
ReplyDeleteYes, I think there is a correlation between irresponsible speech and extremism, and, yes, it may decrease when we are further from our in-crowd. I'll have to e-mail you some stuff on "Perception of Personhood" that I wrote up some years ago. The basic gist is that, the fewer dimensions of personhood we are willing/able to see in someone, the greater chances are that we will transgress them in some way or another, and treat them poorly.