On "Preaching to the Choir"
Apologies for totally not writing in a long time. I have a lot to say but for the moment I'm just going to get this little pet peev off my chest.
IT DRIVES ME NUTS when people talk about "preaching to the choir". The phrase itself basically implies a useless act, but more specifically that the "preacher" is trying to convince the already convinced. I often hear the phrase used in reference to any politically leftist event in Seattle, suggesting that no one should bother doing anything leftist in Seattle because most people here are already leftists.
Frankly I think this is absolutely ridiculous. Let's go back to the preacher and the choir example. There's a reason people go to church every week and it isn't to get more converted than they already are. I'm also fairly certain that the stream of people entering a church on Sunday to get converted is slim to nil, or at least not enough to merit weekly services. The preacher preaches to the converted every week because people are constantly learning more about their faith and themselves through his/her sermons. They gain strength by hearing motivating ideas and continually returning to a group of people who share their ideals and dreams. They come back again and again because there's always something new to do - this week a soup kitchen, that week a bbq, next week a Habitat for Humanity project. I dunno, whatever church people do.
My point is that any leftist political activity in a heavily leftist city, or any leftist political activity in the meetings of an anti-war group, or any discussion by leftist people, IS USEFUL EVERY TIME. In my opinion, there's no such thing as preaching to the choir (except perhaps in the specific incident of one individual literally trying to convince another individual of something that they already believe).
Having events for example, that talk about the atrocities of the war in a town that's likely already antiwar in majority, is USEFUL. Perhaps people who are on the fence will come. Perhaps people who are already antiwar will bring their friends who have never engaged in grassroots activism before. Perhaps many of those who are antiwar will learn things they haven't learned elsewhere. Perhaps getting all of these people gathered together in one spot will create a sense of solidarity, a sense that things are actually going well, and this will dispell some of the demoralization that has been stacked upon our country for 30 years now. Perhaps people will meet new people, get their contact information and start a group at the university, or in their work places, or at a local pub. Perhaps those little groups turn into movements that change the world.
It's ALWAYS USEFUL. And that's why we keep doing it.
IT DRIVES ME NUTS when people talk about "preaching to the choir". The phrase itself basically implies a useless act, but more specifically that the "preacher" is trying to convince the already convinced. I often hear the phrase used in reference to any politically leftist event in Seattle, suggesting that no one should bother doing anything leftist in Seattle because most people here are already leftists.
Frankly I think this is absolutely ridiculous. Let's go back to the preacher and the choir example. There's a reason people go to church every week and it isn't to get more converted than they already are. I'm also fairly certain that the stream of people entering a church on Sunday to get converted is slim to nil, or at least not enough to merit weekly services. The preacher preaches to the converted every week because people are constantly learning more about their faith and themselves through his/her sermons. They gain strength by hearing motivating ideas and continually returning to a group of people who share their ideals and dreams. They come back again and again because there's always something new to do - this week a soup kitchen, that week a bbq, next week a Habitat for Humanity project. I dunno, whatever church people do.
My point is that any leftist political activity in a heavily leftist city, or any leftist political activity in the meetings of an anti-war group, or any discussion by leftist people, IS USEFUL EVERY TIME. In my opinion, there's no such thing as preaching to the choir (except perhaps in the specific incident of one individual literally trying to convince another individual of something that they already believe).
Having events for example, that talk about the atrocities of the war in a town that's likely already antiwar in majority, is USEFUL. Perhaps people who are on the fence will come. Perhaps people who are already antiwar will bring their friends who have never engaged in grassroots activism before. Perhaps many of those who are antiwar will learn things they haven't learned elsewhere. Perhaps getting all of these people gathered together in one spot will create a sense of solidarity, a sense that things are actually going well, and this will dispell some of the demoralization that has been stacked upon our country for 30 years now. Perhaps people will meet new people, get their contact information and start a group at the university, or in their work places, or at a local pub. Perhaps those little groups turn into movements that change the world.
It's ALWAYS USEFUL. And that's why we keep doing it.
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