Growing up in my career in a male-dominated world gave me a thick skin.
I’ve often spent time in locker rooms after victories — and wins — and I’ve found myself as the only female in the room more than once.
I’ve heard more curse words than my grandmother has heard in 93 years of living, and it takes a lot to make me blush. I’ve embarrassed myself in front of a busload of teenagers and been pummeled on the sidelines of a high school football game.
Little to say, it takes a lot to offend me.
But I’ve also lived in a lot of places and I’ve been brought up by a lot of different types of people. In the journalism world, you learn to listen to a variety of voices. You learn there is not always a black and white.
I think that’s what’s so important about the work we do. We start conversations. At least that’s what we aim to do.
People are far too offended too quickly these days and often miss the opportunity to have a conversation and, by golly, maybe grow a little bit.
Recently one of our reporters wrote a column asking if Wetumpka should have the Indians as their mascot. This column isn’t going to defend that stance or try to take away from the reporter’s words.
Instead, this column is about asking ourselves: Are we so close-minded we are missing out on chances to grow our own minds? Are we so easily triggered ourselves we’re not willing to have a conversation?
I use that word “triggered” so hesitantly because it in itself is a trigger-word. It’s a buzzword if nothing else. There are actual triggers for people who have experienced trauma, and it’s become this popular word to use when someone’s upset or having a negative reaction to something.
But it’s also become the perfect way to describe a person who’s simply set off and not willing to listen to any outside perspective.
Instead of saying, “Maybe this other person has another perspective to share or they see something in a way I’d never considered before,” that kind of thinking isn’t even considered. Rather, many people resort to name calling and belittling each other — instead using actual language that can be triggering to those who have suffered real trauma. Instead of having a conversation, something closer to bullying resorts.
And I’m not just talking about this column in particular. Sure, maybe this reporter bit off more than she can chew in a community that so clearly backs its namesake. But what I’m talking about is that culture of getting offended by something so little and then taking it to the extreme. Maybe next time consider a conversation could’ve been had and instead of hurting people’s feelings, minds could’ve been changed.
Lizi Arbogast Gwin is the managing editor of Tallapoosa Publishers Inc.
