If you watch enough television shows and movies, you might
start to notice that a bunch of the same props are used over and over
again. Among the more famous is a newspaper that has been passed around from show to show and has, in fact, been reused for more than 30 years.
I don’t know the story behind this prop newspaper, but I assume it
was created as a royalty free prop for television shows and movies. Somewhere along
the line, the prop became a recurring gag between propmasters or maybe they are just lazy. Don't believe me? Well, here is the proof - try and spot it the next tme you are watching TV.
To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. The State has
not produced one iota of medical evidence that the crime Tom Robinson is
charged with ever took place. It has relied instead upon the testimony
of two witnesses whose evidence has not only been called into serious
question on cross examination, but has been flatly contradicted by the
defendant. Now there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella
Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led, almost exclusively, with
his left [hand]. And Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken "The
Oath" with the only good hand he possesses -- his right.
I have
nothing but pity in my heart for the Chief Witness for the State. She is
the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance. But, my pity does not extend
so far as to her putting a man's life at stake, which she has done in
an effort to get rid of her own guilt. Now I say "guilt," gentlemen,
because it was guilt that motivated her. She's committed no crime. She
has merely broken a rigid and time-honored code of our society, a code
so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to
live with. She must destroy the evidence of her offense. But, what was
the evidence of her offense? Tom Robinson, a human being. She must put
Tom Robinson away from her. Tom Robinson was to her a daily reminder of
what she did.
Now what did she do? She tempted a negro. She was
white and she tempted a negro. She did something that in our society is
unspeakable: She kissed a black man. Not an old uncle, but a strong,
young negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it
came crashing down on her afterwards.
The witnesses for the
State, with the exception of the sheriff of Lincoln County, have
presented themselves to you gentlemen -- to this Court -- in the cynical
confidence that their testimony would not be doubted; confident that
you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption, the evil
assumption, that all negroes lie; all negroes are basically immoral
beings; all negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an
assumption that one associates with minds of their caliber, and which is
in itself, gentlemen, a lie -- which I do not need to point out to you.
And
so, a quiet, humble, respectable negro, who has had the unmitigated
TEMERITY to feel sorry for a white woman, has had to put his word
against two white peoples. The defendant is not guilty. But somebody in
this courtroom is.
Now, gentlemen, in this country our courts are
the great levelers. In our courts, all men are created equal. I'm no
idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and of our
jury system. That's no ideal to me. That is a living, working reality!
Now
I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the
evidence that you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this man
to his family.
In the name of God, do your duty. In the name of God, believe Tom Robinson.
Despite what you may have heard, communication is not a skill. It’s actually many skills layered one
upon another. Listening effectively, expressing yourself, focus,
reflection, clarity… and the list can go on and on.
Among the most important is our ability to filter
the information we receive and reflect on this. Our internal filters
decide what we pay attention to and what we ignore when communicating
with others. What we pay attention to can fuel our understanding of
more than just the message we are getting. It also affects our
understanding of the relationship.
Our skill at filtering information can change depending on what is
going on around us or our distractions. These can come in many forms such
as:
emotional state
outward distractions such as noise, kids, phone calls
being tired
previous negative or positive experience with the person
nerves (ie with boss or a crush)
bad mood or a really good mood
your beliefs
expectations of the person or the situation
difference in personal style (some are bold, shy, withdrawn or in your face)
self-protection mode (fear, rejection)
situational (at work, late at night)
message medium (email, phone, letters)
And it goes on and on. You can see how we can so easily get our messages distorted when communicating with someone.
The point is there is no way to eliminate these distractions or filters - the key is to be aware of them. Introspection is often ignored when people talk about what matters in communication but, trust me, at the most basic level introspection really matters. Communication is tough enough without allowing our filters to take us unawares and add to the difficulty level. Know yourself, where you are at and reflect on what messages you are receiving.
Be aware of your filters and stand
in the truth of them. If you are feeling in a bad mood and just not in
a place to focus; ask the person trying to talk to you to give you a
couple of minutes and tell them why. You own your filter; it doesn’t own you. Pay attention to it.