A Duty To Speak
Does it exist?
If you are a Mason in Western Washington, particularly in Southwest Washington, I’ve added a request from Centralia Lodge following this post below. Please check it out.
As Freemasons, our core duty is to improve ourselves.
This becoming better men in turn makes life better for all those around us, expanding outward even to our communities.
But great numbers of Masons are interested in taking this a step further. We want to improve the world around us in more direct and visible ways. This impulse certainly drives our vast Masonic philanthropies.
One way in which we can improve our world, if we learn to do it right, is through speech. How much better is our world because Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence than it would have been if he hadn’t?
How much better is our world because of the words of Thomas Paine, Alexander Hamilton, John Madison? And countless other people of letters, leading back throughout human history?
Now of course if we use our speech in bombastic, improper, or careless ways, it will not have a positive impact, because it will not be influential. But, Freemasonry provides us the answer to that. In our Staircase Lecture, where we are strongly encouraged to learn the skills of rhetoric, of persuasive communication. If we heed the lessons of our Craft, our speech can become a force for good.
In the United States the Freedom of Speech is considered a sacred right. Given to every individual, by God. Vigilance is of course necessary, for it has always been, and remains, under attack at the margins. But, our society has protected it. As have most nations throughout the West over the march of time.
It is also highlighted in our Masonic rituals (here in Washington, and I presume in other Jurisdictions as well) as a vital right possessed by all; that we as Masons must protect.
We have the right to say what we want. To write what we want. To put our chosen words out into the world. This is unquestioned in any society purporting to be free.
If we hope to do good in the world, we can use our words to do so. But, if we hope to succeed, we must use them in a way that can inform, encourage, and persuade.
That’s it, in a nutshell.
But, does it go further than that?
Scott Galloway, quoting Sam Harris writes:1
“If you have economic security and people who love you unconditionally, you have an obligation to speak your mind.”
I wonder, is that true?
Particularly in a Masonic context.
Do we, as Masons, have a duty to use our Freedom of Speech in order to improve the world around us?
To speak against injustice? To speak in support of Masonic values? To encourage those in need of encouragement? To push for a more just and sane world?
And if we do have that duty, do we also have a duty to heed the words of our Staircase Lecture and its call that we educate ourselves?
A request for assistance from Centralia Lodge.
On this upcoming weekend each year, Centralia Lodge places markers on the graves of every Freemason buried within our community. This is a truly massive undertaking, which would not be possible without the assistance we receive from Brothers from up and down the I-5 corridor.
If you can assist this year, we could certainly use it, and would certainly appreciate it.
We've got three dates for you to choose from:
This upcoming Friday morning, at 9:00 AM, at Sticklin Memorial Park. There are two entrances: 1822 Van Wormer St., Centralia or 1905 Johnson Road, Centralia.
This upcoming Saturday morning, at 8:00 AM, at Mountain View Cemetery, 1113 Caveness Drive, Centralia. (Right behind Les Schwab Tires.)
Next Tuesday morning, to pick up the markers, 8:00 AM at Mountain View Cemetery.
Can you assist?
Thank you, in advance, for your kind consideration.
Looking for more? Everything I wrote last week is available on my LinkTree. Or if that’s overwhelming, because I do see that I wrote a heck of a lot last week, my personal recent favorites can be found here.
I am unable to confirm if this is a direct quote from Harris, or a paraphrase by Galloway.
I think a balance needs to considered.
First, do we have a duty? Is it imposed by society, ourselves, some other factor? Regardless, if the duty exists, and we feel compelled to speak, then let us take heed to that Staircase Lecture and educate ourselves.
When I first started working at Microsoft, way back in 2005, it was an initial shock in regards to the dynamics of the team I was on, and the culture at the company. I had never worked for a company that large before. Most of my jobs were at companies where I interacted with no more than 20 people in the entire company, or at the least, the local office.
Six months into the job, we are sitting in a team meeting and a topic was being discussed. The subject escapes me presently, but it was technically related. The manager had heard from most of the members of the team. She looked over at me and asked why I hadn't spoken. I replied that I agreed with everything that had been stated and did not feel the need to just add my voice of confirmation.
She also made the comment that I don't always speak up in meetings and was concerned that I might be feeling shy or some other factor was influencing it.
Before I could answer, a fellow team member spoke up. He said, "Gerry might not always speak up in meetings, but when he does, you had better listen because his input is well thought out, appropriate, and usually has taken into consideration, all the information. He makes informed decisions."
So that is my point. Educate yourself on the topic before weighing in. Understand all sides of the argument, if there is an argument, and take that understanding into consideration before speaking.
Too many people react quickly, just to be heard. Too many people in society today, and especially in social media, have the "look at me" mentality. A case in point. I posted on a FB group the other day about the Meta AI announcement stating that the DJI Neo 2 drone was a great tool for real estate imaging tasks but the people in the U.S. had to wait, because it wasn't available. Well, I own one. Purchased from Amazon two week prior to that announcement by Meta. I made mention of that and one member of the group immediately replied with the comment, "AI sucks!". My response was, "Depends on the AI" to which he replied, "Let me clarify, 100% of AI sucks."
Was there any useful information in his post? Not an ounce of usefulness. Was it educated? In my opinion, not even a little.
So, in summary, if we find duty compels us to speak, for the food of society, Masonry, <add your favorite topic here>, then let's please start with educating ourselves on the topic first.
By the way, I have had a personal motto for many years.
"Education is a light load to carry. You can never have too much. Learn something new everyday."
I believe we are called to speak of injustices whenever we can. To encourage free and open dialogue. I’m not sure why a person would need to be economically secure in order to exercise their freedom of speech. It seems to me that what is being said is that if you’re not economically secure then you need to sit and be quiet, that what you have to say has no value. The one thing that needs to be said about freedom of speech is that you can say what you want, but there may be consequences to what you say.