Why Can't We Scream In Public

 I wrote this blog entry over 10 years ago.

What I was addressing at the time was the "silent screamers" that live among us, the helpless, the voiceless, and while they are still there, people are now beginning to scream in public, and often.

Not a week goes by when there isn't a protest, a rally, a gathering of outraged people shouting and yelling and screaming their frustrations and anger at life, the government, the farmers, one another; you name it, they're making a loud and angry noise.

Over the weekend we saw the Freedom coalition block the Southern motorway for several hours.

This only caused many drivers, people that were heading out for a happy Saturday drive, to shout angrily back at them, and hurl "objects and abuse"; literally the drivers began to scream publicly at total strangers.

Is screaming in public the correct way to earn freedom?

Anger spreads quickly, so does frustration, foul language and "screaming in public".

There is a Bible proverb that reads- "A gentle answer turns back wrath BUT a harsh word stirs up anger."

There you go.

Daily, we see too many harsh words everywhere. On the TV, the internet, the newspaper, graffiti- we can't escape them. 

As a younger woman, my mum used to tell me to have a good cry, let it all out and when I had finished, I would pull up my big girl knickers and carry on to face another day - composed, brave and ready.

I don't have any answers for the frightening changes that are going on in our world at the moment nor the incessant mandates, and ridiculous laws being passed, or the complete disregard for our withering planet, high crime rates, violent crimes

I also don't think screaming in public is the answer, but I do know love conquers, hope lives, while grace hovers over us all.

Anyway, have a read of my thoughts on screaming in public from 10 years back.

God bless x

Every day when I walk down the street I can see the silent screams of people.
I see people begging, playing bad music on broken guitars, even scrounging cigarette butts from the gutter - these are people silently screaming for food and clothing, the basics in life.
The buskers, though not silent, are singing for money and probably not for the love of music anymore. All these silent screamers are begging for love, acceptance - a chance in life.
I have wondered if a lot of suicides are just bungled cries for help, the silent screams of sinking friends that we never hear and can't get to in time.

We should be allowed to scream for help.
We can scream rape, murder, theft. Scream ourselves into road rage, (while not acceptable behaviour,) it has now become a part of our society.
Protesters scream indignantly and in despair that we aren't saving our forests, dolphins, children, cats, dogs and many other valuable life assets. That we eat too many animals and not enough plants and we are certainly not changing the climate for good!
But imagine standing outside Parliament or a social services agency and screaming, "Help! I want to die! I am going home to kill myself! Someone, please help me. Stop me! I'm too scared to live and too scared to die!" Or shouting for love, hugs, a warm bed for a night or a week, where you could feel safe.
It would be a bit startling and disturbing but I think it might work.
Surely someone would dial 111 emergencies.
Hopefully, there would be others that would step up to help and comfort.
Perhaps if there was a special podium erected in a town square that desperate, homeless or suicidal people could go to each day and scream, there might be fewer deaths.
Trained volunteers could be on hand each day and they could take the desperate people to safe houses or psychiatric wards, if they were very bad, and get them help.
I am sure the Salvation Army would love to get out on the streets and do this.
But men can't cry and women can't scream especially not in public and that's just not fair.
Sure there are lots of 0800 Help numbers but you often have to wait and by the time your call for help is answered, you may have just screamed yourself into a faint.
Maybe if we could just be a bit less composed at times and less brave about life and ask for help, let the angst out and cry on the bus home when we have had a tough day, we might learn to be a little bit more gentle with each other.
In reaching out we allow others to reach in.

They say charity begins at home so if we could get up each day and say "good morning" to ourselves (and God) then tell our selves to have a nice day maybe we could go outside and make the path smoother and the day brighter for the silent screamers on our street, and also for those who scream in public.