Question Authority
That used to be a popular slogan on t-shirts in the 60s and 70s…”Question Authority”. But in the past few years, those who question authority seem to be shouted down subject to censorship and shunning.
There is nothing wrong with asking questions. How else do we confirm we are on the right path?
Many times, we are trapped in the mindset of “we’ve always done it this way,” and without a simple question being asked, we might be stuck with inefficient or incorrect methods.
Here at the radio station, someone new to the group asked why we did a certain thing. As I explained why, it became clear to me we were relying on a protocol set up when four radio stations shared the same computer system. There was a really good reason for why we did what we did at the time…but now we have separate computer systems for each station, and are no longer limited by the now-outdated protocol.
This all occurred to me as opposition to certain Trump cabinet nominees is organizing. Just because you question why something is being done does not automatically make you a denier or a radical. It means you’re asking a question…and if the one being challenged gets angry, starts name calling, and doubling down on their hard-and-fast position…that may suggest a weakness in their argument they’re trying to cover up.
Ever try fixing things at home, and when you’re asked if you know what you’re doing, you reply angrily, “Of course, I know what I’m doing”–because, in fact, you have no idea what you’re doing.
But without the question, there’s no way for the world to know if certain vaccines should not be taken with others, or if ballots are being counted correctly…or a hundred other examples.
Validly questioning authority is not only just fine, it’s sort of the American way.
