And Then There's This...

"Drip, Drip, Drip"

As a veritable artesian well of unsolicited opinions, I am forever confronted by those eager to tell me that my gems of wit and wisdom are falling on barren ground. “Surely you don't think you're changing any minds,” they scorn, implying not only that my opinions are impotent but that I'm a fool to think otherwise.

Outside of winning the most votes or getting the highest award, I don't know how one can judge the short-term effectiveness of a publicly expressed opinion. But I do know this: It's a flaw to think that just because an opinion seems to have no immediate impact it won't achieve its goal in the long run. After all, the whole thrust of teaching is to enlighten students by degrees, by steadily offering and implanting more embracing and nuanced perspectives.  That's the very foundation of a liberal education.

Moreover, I don't offer my opinions just to change minds. They may also introduce people to concepts or concerns they've not encountered or paid much attention to before. Having had no dealings with the judicial system, I gave little thought to due process or fair trials until I read Clarence Darrow's“The Story of My Life.” Nor did I begin to appreciate the colossal waste of human talent in American prisons until I read condemned killer Caryl Chessman's “Cell 2455: Death Row.” Chessman's eventual execution also stiffened my nascent opposition to the death penalty.

I've never thought my assertions about a woman's right to control her own body changed the mind of a single militant “pro-lifer.” But they may have given inspiration or argumentative footholds to those who are still wavering on the issue. Sometimes a verbal nudge, a new way of looking at things is enough to turn a neutral bystander into an ally. Maybe even a zealous one.

As grandiose as it sounds, I keep volleying my opinions in the hope they'll contribute — however slightly — to a more humane world. And it still leaves me plenty of time to tilt at windmills.

Please send your comments or questions to stormcoast@mindspring.com with “And Then There's This” in the subject line. And thanks for reading.