The voice is the most powerful tool a human can posses. No matter what you say as long as you say it with confidence, and passion you will gain a following. History has proved this, but sadly the spoken word was usually used to benefit in negative ways.
This can bee seen through World War 2 especially. Adolf Hitler was just not an evil man, More than anything he was an amazing speaker. if you take the time to actually listen to some of his speeches, without the thought of what he, he will suck you into his way of thinking. I found myself listening to a speech in 1936, and found myself agreeing with his words. No, I am not a racist nor do I hate the same people he hated, but his words persuaded me. Now I understand why this man led a nation, and was so close to dominating the world. Yes, what he did was horrible, and no I do not support what happened, But I do have to give him credit on his ability to persuade.
Jim Jones is another example i'd Like to give.... Jim Jones for you people that do not know, was an American religious leader, communist, and community organizer. Jones was the founder and leader of the "The People's Temple of the Disciples of Christ" Church. This is know best for the events that occurred because of Jim Jones in November 1978, when Jones led his church to commit a mass suicide. Jones used his power of persuading to kill 909 people. He persuaded these people to relocate out of the United states to Guyana, and live a life dictated by himself. Jones led his followers to commit mass suicide by drinking Kool-aid laced with cyanide. The mass suicide was brought on by a visit from California Congressman Leo Ryan, who was investing rumors of human rights abuse. Congressman Ryan visited Guyana to witness what Jim Jones had been doing. Sadly, Congressman Ryan's trip ending in his death on an airstrip by Jones' instruction. Jim Jones feared Congressman Ryan would go back to the US and expose the truth... so he killed him. Then directly after, Jones directed his followers to drink the Kool aid in fear of the backlash of his actions.
Now we have seen 2 examples on how the voice has cause death and destruction lets look at some positive impacts.
Martin Luther King Jr. was a remarkable man.. the impact he had changed a nation. His un-violent approach brought communities together. People of all different backgrounds, and of different race joined as one while he spoke. He led a revolution and changed the United States forever just with his words. He is remembered most by his infamous line "I have a dream", which he said in his speech during the march on Washington in 1963. He led the nonviolent revolt against the US, and commanded equality of man.
Martin Luther King Jr. took the nonviolent approach and used his words to gain equality, but by far he was not the only person to do this at the time. Stokely Carmichael was a Trinidadian-American Black Activist active during the same time as Martin Luther King Jr.. Carmichael coined the term "Black Power". Carmichael came with strong delivery and an extremely persuading way of thinking. He later became Prime minister of the Black patter party... a more violent approach to equality.
Another way to be heard is through the power of music. Many artist have said things they did not actually mean. Just because a lyric says to do something does not mean that you do it, this is a common misinterpretation. Can we blame peoples actions on the music they listen to? The example that just sticks out more than anything in my mind would be Rock Star Marilyn Manson, and the backlash he received over the killings of High school students and teachers at Columbine High school on April 20, 1999.
Blaming a Musician for acts he did not commit? Yep, America did it. People take something and evolve it into a completely different thing. Yes, his lyrics may of been bad and odd, but did his actual lyrics kill those people? No, those kids killed those people. The only ties they have is that those kids listened to Marilyn Manson, and just because he was off the wall and something the media did not like, they tried to blame these murders on this person. Wrong? Yes of course but who's really to blame?
The voice is undeniably the most powerful thing a human can posses. There is one thing all these people did, and that was know how to relate to their audience. Good or bad, These men set the times apart in history. There is a reason the words of these people are still around. I could take any quote from Adolf Hitler or Jim Jones and post it on Facebook and receive an amazing amounts of likes... as long as I didn't clarify on who's words I was using. Movies have been made strictly over these peoples speeches. Full on movies. The voice is the best way to persuade a person, or even a nation.
Why take action and risk it all, when you could just use your words to prove your point.
“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts.”
― Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind
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