Words! Huh - What Are They Good For?

Short Stuff from Southcoast, MA - [BLOGGER'S NOTE - Here's another step towards the transition from In Search of a Personal Stability Zone to The Evolving Blogger]

In his 1970 classic War! huh What is it good for? Edwin Starr sang: War! huh-yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing Uh-huh

According to Frank Luntz, "Words matter. The most powerful words have helped launch social movements and cultural revolutions. The most effective words have instigated great change in public policy. The right words at the right time can literally change history."

Don't believe him? How about these words? Try them on for size: When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...

A declaration certainly! It clearly and unequivocally defined the relationship, stated the reasons for separation and answered the question relating to the need for independence.

With this in mind I submit a parody of the 1970's classic: Words! huh-yeah What are they good for? Absolutely everything Uh-huh. I was thinking of what I consider to be two of the best soliloquies from American movies; Network and A Few Good Men.

Who could forget Howard Beal's character from Network played by Peter Finch when he delivered these words: I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It’s a depression. Everybody’s out of work, or scared of losing their job.

The dollar buys a nickel’s worth. Banks are going bust. Shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter. Punks are running wild, and nobody knows what to do. There’s no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat.

We sit watching our TVs while some local newscaster tells us that today we had homicides and violent crimes, as if that’s the way it should be. We know things are bad. Worse than bad. They’re crazy.

Everything is going crazy, so we don’t go out any more. We sit in the house, and the world we live in gets smaller.All we say is "Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms."

"Let me have my toaster and my TV and I won’t say anything. Just leave us alone." Well, I’m not going to leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don’t want you to protest or riot. I don’t want you to write to your congressman.

I don’t know what to do about the depression, the inflation and the crime. All I know is that first you’ve got to get mad! You’ve gotta say "I’m a human being, goddammit!My life has value!" So... I want you to get up now.

I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window, open it and stick your head out and yell "I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!"

Jack Nicholson delivered a powerful performance as Colonel Nathan R. Jessep as follows: You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world with walls that must be guarded. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? I have more responsibility than you can fathom.

You weep for Santiago and curse the Marines. You don't know what I know. Santiago's tragic death saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque to you, saves lives! But deep down, in places you don't talk about at parties, you need me on that wall.

We use words like honor, code, loyalty. They're the backbone of our lives. You use them as a punch line! I haven't the time or inclination to explain myself - to a man who needs my protection - but questions the way I do it.

Better just to thank me. Or pick up a gun and stand a post. But I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!

Of course, I can't leave singer-songwriter John Prine out. Here's a classic from his Blue Umbrella: Day time makes me wonder why you left me. Night time makes me wonder what I said. Next time are the words I'd like to plan on. But, last time was the only thing you said.

I'll end this post with this quote by an anonymous author:

Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words; they become your actions.
Watch your actions; they become your habits.
Watch your habits; they become your character.
Watch your character for it will become your destiny.