Them’s fightin’ words!

I learned the phrase that is the title of this post back in the 60’s on TV westerns. But it was already in use in 1917, and maybe earlier.

“Fightin’ words,” I learned, were words spoken to someone that provoked them to respond physically. Usually it a was a good guy saying, “You’re a crook” to, well, a crook. The bad guy was offended by the truth and decided to fight about it. Although I seem to remember Hoss Cartwright, definitely a good guy, use the “fightin’ words” phrase once. He added the word, “Mister” at the end, because Hoss was always polite.

These days the warning is never given. Someone speaks, and someone else starts to fight.

Take for instance a conversation held on X a few nights ago. The speakers in this planned event were Elon Musk, well known president of X, and Donald Trump, well known former president of the United States.

About 1.3 million people listened in on X. Partly for the experience and partly for the information, I was one of those.

I didn’t listen to the entire conversation, but apparently somewhere in there the topic of employment was discussed.

Oh, wait… Fairly early on Mr. Musk mentioned he had received a letter from the European Union about the upcoming conversation. That caused all kinds of thoughts to flash through my mind:

• Why does the European Union care about this?
• Who actually wrote the letter?
• Did they check with all of the countries in the union?
• Most importantly, how did they get Elon Musk’s address?

So I kind of missed the point of the letter, but I think they told him to not say bad things about Europe. If you know, put it in the comments.

Speaking of unions

Way back in time, like a month ago, someone tried to assassinate Donald Trump. Shortly after that, the Republican Party held its convention in Wisconsin. One of the speakers was Sean O’Brien, the president of the Teamsters Union. I was glad I watched him, because that fellow can flat out give a speech. Once upon a time I declined to join a union, but I was ready to sign up that night.

Now I’m out again, because the day after the Musk/Trump convo, United Auto Workers filed federal charges against the two men. The charges were announced by UAW president Shawn Fain. Sean pulled me in. Shawn pushed me away.

The UAW claims that Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk had “interfered with, restrained or coerced employees” who were exercising their right to organize, “suggesting he would fire employees engaged in protected concerted activity, including striking.”

Will those charges result in anything? Yes, they will result in Shawn Fain being even more popular with his members. It will also result in Ms. Harris, already endorsed by the UAW, owing them a little more.

When Sean O’Brien spoke, it was clear that he represented his union members and that they were his primary concern. That’s appropriate. It was also clear that he thinks “Wall Street” has not been a friend to truck drivers and other Teamsters Union members. He’s probably right.

Just like the cattle ranchers and the sheep ranchers in some of those old westerns, the two sides are often at odds. Why?

The pie and the pigs

It is one of the most common, most familiar, most anti-do good attitudes that causes this: greed.

The first and foremost goal is making sure I get the biggest piece of the pie possible. Say anything that might threaten that, and them’s fightin’ words.

People are no longer cattle ranchers and sheep ranchers, they themselves become pigs. We should not be surprised. Socially and culturally we often encourage a “you owe me” and “I should get mine” attitude.

But the fight no longer takes place in a bar room, it takes place on social media and in the news. And, more and more, in court.

Of course fair fights (like debates) are a bore, so a preemptive strike (pun intended) like the one from the UAW is launched. This has become so effective that many people will now simply not say anything. After all, what they say might be interpreted as fightin’ words.

Not only is free speech abrogated by this, so is the exchange of ideas and opinions. Say anything that is a touchpoint for the bullies of this world, and the knives are out before your words have even been heard.

This, my friends, is not good. It is evil.

Civility?

After that assassination attempt on Mr. Trump, a fellow named Anthony Constantino, owner of Sticker Mule, posted this on social media:

“I don’t care what your political views are but the hate for Trump and his supporters has gone too far. People are terrified to admit they support Trump. I’ve been scared myself. Americans shouldn’t live in fear. I support Trump. Many at Sticker Mule do. Many at Sticker Mule also support Biden. The political hate needs to stop.”

I’d never heard of Sticker Mule, but I appreciated that last line: “the political hate needs to stop.”

As you might suspect, his appeal to civility turned out to be fightin’ words.

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the response online included “a barrage of invective and death threats.”

Hope

Here is some very good news. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is launching a new school “committed to free expression.” They have hired 11 faculty members.

It is called The School of Civic Life and Leadership, and it will offer three courses this fall. One of those is a class on the fundamentals of civil debate.

Of course the announcement that UNC was planning this was itself fightin’ words. The board of trustees faced an implied threat from UNC’s accrediting organization, and a number of the current professors protested the whole idea.

The trustees went ahead anyway. The hope, says the dean of the school, is to create an environment “where students can disagree better.”

Now that is doing good.