You don’t know, until you know, I was thinking, as I was reading an article in The Guardian, a newspaper I purchased, sometimes, at newsstands in London, when I was working in the British capital years ago.
In the article, American political speechwriter and author, David Litt, notes that “Restrictive voting laws make casting a ballot disproportionately difficult for lower-income, non-white and young Americans”…and, “Despite some politicians increasing eagerness to erode our democracy, large majorities of Americans still believe in representative government.”
As you can tell from these excerpts, Mr. Litt focuses on extreme friction between the nation’s two major political parties… and full disclosure, Mr. Litt was a speechwriter during the Obama presidency.
In our deeply polarized, divided nation, I was wondering if such words and thoughts, in his article, would resonate. If they would “evoke a feeling of shared emotion or belief,” as the word — ‘resonate’ — is defined in The Free Dictionary.
I was wondering the very same thing about something I wrote, in the Daily Post, about the will of the people. Would my words resonate?…but, more about that, in a second.
When I was out in London – and for a number of years prior to, and after, working there – I took many stabs at shaping opinion. You do that, when you’re working in PR. And now, as well, I’m still at it, I suppose, with words in the Daily Post about current events and politics. But, while this may seem similar, in some ways, I’m discovering that it’s actually quite different from shaping opinion, when you’re in the PR business.
Why you’re doing what you’re doing…that’s the difference.
Whether you’re a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, or whatever, what Mr. Litt said about threats to democracy is concerning. He also said, in words of advice for Democrats, that they will need to reflect, rather than ignore, “the people’s will.”
Representative government, “The people’s will,” democracy.
How long is it, now, that our nation has been a democracy? More than two centuries?
“The people’s will,” as Mr. Litt said… and, as I mentioned, the other day.
You don’t know, until you know, if these messages are resonating.
Harvey Radin is former senior vice president in charge of corporate communications and media relations, Bank of America Western Region. He makes his home in Redwood City, CA.