The approach of Father's Day has caused me to stop to reconsider the lessons I learned over the years from my late father, Howard Danner. Actually, Howard Swineford Danner, Jr. (I was his oldest son, and have always very grateful I wasn't named Howard the Third!) Even after his own Dad's death, my father kept the junior after his name. It was, for him, a sign of respect.
Dad was a preacher too. And one of the most important things I learned from him had to do with the power of words. I have never forgotten a sermon he preached some five decades ago, in which he compared words to chameleons. "Words," he said, "are like chameleons. For just as a chameleon is said to change its color depending on its background and setting, so words change their meaning in different contexts." As a preacher, discussing ancient texts in postmodern settings, you soon learn how powerfully true that is!
I 've thought about that as I've been seeing more and more politcal ads in which opponent's words are quoted without any real attention being paid to the original context of those words. Sound bites they are called. Both parties are guilty of the same loose behavior. I guess I need to get used to it. Florida is, after all, a so-called battleground state, so we'll be exposed to more of it than folks in some other parts of the country. But frankly, such ads treat us like morons! They are an insult to voters!
Dad and I belonged to different political parties. We had pretty divergent views on a number of significant issues. But we both agreed when it came to words. They are like chameleons. Context does count.
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