COS Indiana Newsletter

but about the country.
Remember when the Democrats were known as the party of the working class? Now that title seems to be shifting to the
Republicans, maybe even to the Libertarians. No matter where we land on any issue, hanging our beliefs about the
country on a political ideology is iffy at best. At worst, we could find ourselves on a constantly evolving landscape and not
know what we believe.
Each of us needs to define our own beliefs and must be able to state them in just one or two sentences. What we need is
an elevator speech. A good elevator speech has 3 elements: the grabber, the solution, and the hook. The grabber gets their
interest, the solution presents an option, and the hook makes them think. So here’s an example – a bit oversimplified, I’ll
admit.
Grabber: I understand that freedom isn’t free.
Solution: To stay free I have to exercise my freedoms, and that sometimes has a price.
Hook: And, though it’s a little scary to say this, staying free is worth the price I might have to pay.
Why is something like this effective? Like the elevator floor, the statement is flat. It’s non-emotional, non-political, and
personal. It doesn’t draw lines, blame, or ridicule. It makes room for other opinions, without asking what those opinions
might be. Giving our own version of the elevator speech also strengthens us, individually. It’s like a mantra, and if
repeated often enough helps us remain calm and focused while others may not.
But the best thing about the elevator speech is that it can open the door to discussion. And this brings us right back to free
speech. We have to do it to keep it. We have to speak up. But how? Particularly when we are speaking to people we love,
who we know believe differently than we do.
How to Speak So that Others Will Listen
It’s absolutely true. There are a few people on the far ends of any issue who won’t listen, no matter what. Don’t waste
your time on them. Here are some tips for speaking to the rest of us.
Pick your battles carefully. Some people have a reputation for being argumentative about any subject at any time,
so others just tune them out. Don’t be that guy!
Choose a good time. Drawing a line in the cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving is not a good plan. But there may be a
time when family is just sitting around, when people are calm and everyone is able to listen. And actually discuss.
Get your facts straight. Don’t speak from emotion, speak from fact and be able to document it.
Look for common ground. Realize that areas of agreement exist even when issues and people seem most divided.
Be willing to concede. In any discussion, no one gets everything they want. But if everyone can get something, then
we are inching forward as a country.
Don’t go on the attack, even when others do. Build a reputation as a voice of fact-based calm.
Realize that you are planting seeds. You won’t necessarily know who your words influence. Plant them anyway.
Don’t Stop Speaking Out
The price of any freedom is the willingness of a free people to exercise it. So it is with speech. It is only with words and
actions that we remain free. Inaction and silence send the wrong message and give tacit approval to the actions of those
who would control us. And as evidenced by the attempt to silence voices on social media, on college campuses, in
corporations, and school board meetings, the desire to control is pervasive.
So let’s honor the actions of Rosa Parks by our own. Because, in the words of the author, William Faulkner, “We must be
free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.”
An Ordinary American Citizen, aka Linda Malcak, has been writing since she got her first fat black pencil in kindergarten.
She is passionate about free speech, self-governance, and respecting the sacrifices others have made so that we can live free.
"AMERICA MUST WIN THIS WAR.
THEREFORE, I WILL WORK, I WILL SAVE,
I WILL SACRIFICE, I WILL ENDURE,
I WILL FIGHT CHEERFULLY AND DO MY UTMOST,
AS IF THE ISSUE OF THE WHOLE STRUGGLE DEPENDS
ON ME ALONE." – Private Martin Treptow