Dear Poets & Writers;
As a community of poets and writers, we must learn to articulate our thoughts, feelings, and opinions in a way that makes a difference.
Our words and voices can have a significant impact on others and can also inspire positive changes in this big, diverse world. Simply putting someone down, calling them names, or cursing at them are not ideal ways to handle tough situations or people.
We are all free to express ourselves but should do so in a manner that inspires others to think, learn, or grow. Don’t just call someone ‘ignorant’ or ‘stupid,’ and foul language is not helpful. Educate them. Help them understand what they did or said wrong from your perspective. Offer your own opinions, thoughts, and advice, then listen to try and understand why or what the cause of any confusion may be. Then you may try coming to a reasonable solution, even if it means just walking away from the situation all together.
We don’t have the power to change everyone nor silence everything we don’t agree with, but we can be better in expressing our opposing views in a clear, concise way. We can also stand up for what is right and defend our beliefs, if necessary. If we do this with kindness and respect then we can all, at last, come together and discuss some of the world’s toughest issues difficult to face. If done correctly, many of us will come to realize that fighting, violence, and name-calling is not the world’s only solutions and that we are not all enemies. Together, we can make this world a better place, even with our differences and flaws.
We appreciate everyone who chooses to use their words in a positive manner and thank you all for your support in making this a strong, diverse community, where all writers and poets feel comfortable enough to express their true feelings.
So true. The problem is some opinions are so "unenlightened" (i.e., the world is flat, the Holocaust never happened, 9/11 was an inside job, etc.) that we know the posters are willing to be educated. For them, frustration and maybe anger become the only logical responses. The key to to recognize that hitting your fists against a wall only hurts your fists.