It’s Sunday, so get on your soapbox or gather around to listen. There are opinions for everything, counterpoints to every argument, and a positive for every negative. These pillars of debate all come together in a glowing monument to freedom of speech at Hyde Park’s Speaker’s Corner. The idea behind this weekly event revolves around the act of speaking, regardless of what is said or whether there is agreement between all groups. New ideas mingle with radical points of view, while neutral parties watch words exchange back and forth like tennis balls at Wimbeldon. The process is the absolute epitome of humanity at its finest. We aren’t meant to agree on everything, but we owe it to ourselves and everyone around us to respect the ability to harbor and express an opinion.
As I listen, I sometimes feel my temper burning and my intellect challenged, but I always learn something. There’s always something to consider and stoke my curiosity to investigate further. For some it’s about being right or wrong, but for me its about making the effort to think with a more open mind.
c.b. 2011
C.B. Wentworth 