Gossip

On Daniel's blog, Seeking Utopia, he states that he opposes "blogs that peddle trivia, gossip, and malice". I don't oppose a bit of trivia sometimes, if it is a fun thing. We need a break once in a while. But I do oppose gossip and malice. Gossip is evil and so is malice, hurtful things. Gossip is rarely true, and even when the stories are true, they are usually repeated with malicious glee, not to educate and inform the audience, but to put-down and hurt the victim.

Even people who say that they don't gossip will make little cut-down and critical remarks about another that appear solely designed to denigrate another person and attempt to elevate the speaker by comparison. That is just another form of gossip. There's an old saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." That saying is erroneous. Words can hurt deeply for years or for life.

Thinking about this tonight, I dug out an old, yellowed newspaper clipping that I used to keep pinned to my study bulletin board (when I had a study).

"NOBODY'S FRIEND: My name is gossip. I have no respect for justice. I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives. I am cunning and malicious and gather strength with age. The more I am quoted the more I am believed. I flourish at every level of society.

"My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face. To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become. I am nobody's friend.

"Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same. I topple governments and wreck marriages. I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights, heartache and indigestion. I spawn suspicion and generate grief. I make innocent people cry in their pillows.

"Even my name hisses. I am called GOSSIP. Office gossip. Shop gossip. Party gossip. Telephone gossip. I make headlines and headaches. Before you repeat a story, ask yourself: Is it true? Is it fair? Is it necessary?

"If not ---SHUT UP! "



PEACE.