Keith Melville

Those beautiful words of wisdom, written by Jessica Sneha Gray for us Beacon letter readers last Friday, were a refreshing and stark contrast to the angry words I saw on social media a little later.

Some people thought that the Facebook social media post was directed at me and told me so, but even though they believed I matched some of the ageist and other descriptions used, including that mildly insulting but funny word, “wrinklebum”, I don’t think they were really aimed at me, at least I hope not.

They were probably written in anger and haste and were directed at someone else, a little older and more tempestuous than me, who regularly joins our morning coffee group.

Dr Jessica’s words kept coming back to me. She attributed the forces that shape conflict today – extremism, propaganda and fear-driven narratives to the ease in which digital technology and our screens are able to influence us.

Considering my frame of mind having digested the Facebook diatribe, which was full of expletives and descriptive language often used by the political left, I thought her words were entirely soothing and appropriate.

They reinforced my view that there was no point in over-reacting by stooping to the low level of the left.

Let me explain what happened at our coffee group.

I won’t name the Facebook writer except to say we have often crossed words in Beacon letters but never to the extent that we have stopped speaking to each other.

After entering The Bean, he took a lonely seat by himself at a table near us.

I yelled an innocent greeting across the room, which he didn’t hear.

I tried again, and again, before gaining his attention. (Like all lefties he has difficulty hearing).

He then declared he would join us, “the far right”, a totally inaccurate description from my moderate centre right view, before taking a seat.

And then to my dismay, a short time later an argument developed and it was all about – and I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing – Christmas in the Park and how councils and their staff members were failing or helping such events.

Very soon there was a loud f*** off, from my tempestuous and more elderly friend across the room.

My other friend, the one from the left, clearly insulted, jumped out of his seat and departed without saying goodbye.

His angry response was soon published on Facebook, but I do wish he had read Dr Jessica’s column before seeking support from his followers on social media.

In the words of Dr Jessica, we all carry a responsibility: “in how we speak, what we amplify, and whether we choose understanding over outrage”.

How true.

I sincerely hope Dr Jessica will forgive me for using her powerful narrative to score a political point over a political adversary, albeit a likeable one.