White folk have a thing called a Town Hall meeting. I have never been to such an event. Only reference for me is the Woman in the Simpsons television show screaming, "what about the children?" It is a spoof of what happens at a Town Hall meeting of course. We do know how matters take place in Town Hall meetings. There are many segments, examples on the News, showing public meetings, seminars. Even in movies and television shows we see the drama, comedy of public meetings. There is always the angry person in the crowd. Making sure they are heard, or try to be heard. Sometimes it "gets-out-of-hand." In reality I suppose, it is normal for this loud angry speaking to occur. Sometimes you have to raise your voice to be heard. I wonder how effective blasting at people can be? What is the alternative, speak reasonably so you don't turn people off, make them not want to hear you. If you're reasonable, even toned speaking are you taken seriously? Can the passion you feel about the issue be properly expressed in a calm voice? Or does your passion have to visually demonstrated with spit flying from you mouth?
In Indian country we have the town hall equivalent called "the Band Meeting." Oooohhh, the dreaded Band Meeting. Nope, we are not talking about the band meetings of the Methodists. Those are meetings of a few people who pray and confess their sins to each other. Nope we are talking about the Band Meetings where the Chief and Council of a Band, stand in front and meet their community members. Many a Chief and Council have felt the Blasting of the Band Member at these Band Meetings. The barrage of barbs, claims of corruption, accusations of nepotism come quickly and with venomous vitriol. We have the equivalent of the wider society's "Karen." These Women and lesser men are prone to take over the Town Hall meeting, but in the Band Meeting you dare not interrupt the Karen, or in our case, the Ombiigizi. In many of our Native-Indian communities we tend to tolerate the loud mouths. We tolerate it so much it is part of the Band Meeting. The obligatory slogan, "what about the children," is usually strewn about by our loud ones.
The slogan varies, with "I worry for my grandchildren," or "our children are the future." to make it known they are really caring individuals. They are beyond reproach and damn you, if you dare to question their moral authority. The overall sentiment is that they have every right to demean you, to tear a huge hole right in your arse. Theirs is the only voice that matters in the Band Meeting. Just the other day, I witnessed a verbal barrage at a group of people by one of our Elders. To put in context, a group from our community were guests at another Indian Reserve. It was a happy event, with gifts exchanged, good kind words to each other and food. For some reason, one of our Elders decided that it was a fitting place to "voice" concerns about events happening in our community, which had nothing to do with our hosts community. The Elder scolded our hosts, it was like she was at one of our Band Meetings and just went with was natural to her. She capped off her tirade with "I'm passionate and make no apology for that."
Fuck sakes.
Like, I'm passionate can be used as a key for excusing rude behaviour. "I'm passionate so I can just go around blasting anyone and it makes it okay, because I am passionate." Heck. I'm passionate about masturbation but you don't see me tossing seminal fluid at everyone and everywhere. You just can't do that. Only Harvey Weinstein, and Louis CK , both rich white men, can masturbate in front of Women. What would happen if me, a poor Indian guy, were to masturbate around like they did? For sure a blasting is not the only thing that would happen to me. So why are we willing to excuse, normalize the Karens, the whinners, the criers, the loud mouths (at Band Meetings) the "Passionate?"
We most likely have all done it, lashed out in anger, raised the voice, kicked a chair, pointed a finger, maybe even pulled your pants down showed off your arse (the moon) to make a point. Still does the point get heard when it is loud or does the message get drowned out because of the noise. I don't know. The only thing I know is I would rather listen to someone being clear, calm, even joking, that is what I would rather hear. Can we hear the passion if the voice is calm? Perhaps we need the loud, the angry, for the passionate to be heard. I just don't know.
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