Because of the large number of public hearings on consolidation of governments and school systems, I have visited a few dozen forums in the last six months. And the message I bring to you, my fellow Memphians, is “I can’t hear you.”
At least not well. The acoustics in public and private facilities range from great to awful. As a patriot once said, I may not agree with a word that you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it so long as you say it clearly and limit your remarks to two minutes.
I am a little fanatical on the subject of clarity. My job depends on getting it right as far as “Jim” or “Tim” or “$5 million” or “$5 billion” or “6 p.m. Tuesday” or “6 p.m. Thursday a week from now.”
For several years I refused to get a cellphone for that and other reasons. But “call me on a land line” is no longer an option. So my typical conversation with friends, family, and newsmakers includes several “I’m sorry could you please repeat thats.” On an assignment for an out-of-town newspaper, I once had a conversation with an editor that went something like this:
Me on a borrowed cellphone with the wind blowing and truck engines whining in the background: “I am in Dyersburg and the police are saying the hostages are okay but there have been shots and they are still negotiating. What is your deadline?”
Editor in New York: “So ….. there are many dead … and shot in the head …. and no longer negotiating ….. … have given them a deadline … and your source is a sheriff named ZXXBXBDL! Can you have that for the early edition?”