Speech by Owen Edwards

[Sevastáin Pinátsch]

Ladies and gentlemen, members and honoured guests of the MRPT,

I am pleased to introduce Owen Edwards, Leader of the Progressive Party. Despite a rather hectic schedule, he still agreed to address us at this year's conference. We are most fortunate.

S:reu Edwards!

[owenedwards]

Sorry for the delay in delivering my speech. You know the deal – life crashes in and you realize how much work there is to do. And the living room needs reorganizing. And you've got some Government-assigned paperwork to complete. And you really want – just once – to sit down and read your book without being aware there's higher priorities. So thanks for your forbearance.

And this short address is really about that. About forbearance. About courtesy. About decency. Talossa can often feel like it lacks those things. Our country lacks civility – and therefore civilization – so often. There are multiple way that works. We fail to recognize the difficulties of other people's lives – stuck as we are behind screens – and so fail to give them charity when they're slow or make mistakes. We outright insult people – who ought to be our close brothers and sisters but are in fact perfect strangers (neither group being one we should outright insult!). We even pretend to be courteous whilst actually snidely undermining or patronizing those we see as our opponents. Every party does it. It's not just one or two. It's not just the King's Men or the Capitan's Women. It's all of us. We mimic macronational politics in one way most excellently – the level of our national discourse is lousy.

So let me propose to you just one thing – something utterly radical. Be moderate. Not just in your policies or in your whimsical “consider voting for us” tag line – but in your speech and in your thought. The greatest service Talossan centrists can do their nations is not – perhaps obviously – via their detailed policies. It is by enacting their ideology of moderation in their daily lives.

Do not pursue political strife. Prefer to consider your own behaviour or emotional responses wrong before accusing another – if that's at all possible in a situation. Step away from the screen when tempted to type in anger. Relentlessly pursue justice but never vengeance. There is too much point scoring in our public arena. There are too many snide remarks masquerading as cordial discourse. There is too much noise. We have a selection of less mentally stable citizens – very well. But whilst their erratic behaviour may be excused, ours may not. An insult may be personal – very well. But we may choose to ignore it.

Talossa will not live or die based on its politic. Becoming a republic would be most sad but it would not kill Talossa. What will kill Talossa is a surrender to the futility of darkened minds that is macronational politics. Moderate Radicals – I ask you to make a stand for true moderation. In 7 years of being a Talossan I have seen public nastiness destroy activity time after time. However successful you are in the current election I truly believe your chief parliamentary mission will be this – to seek to heal the fissures of the Talossan community.

[Sevastáin Pinátsch]

《 applause 》

Thank you, S:reu Edwards. This is valuable advice and we're most gratified that you made the time to present to us during this busy time.

I know that I find it challenging to walk the line between being an effective, inquisitive Talossan and a citizen that pushes too hard. Additionally, if I feel I am being disrespected, I can be rather direct in response. I wonder if in tolerating bad behavior in others if I am not condoning it.

I wish we could all assume good faith in others and leave our personal baggage in storage.

I think we would all do well to try to remain emotionally neutral in the conflicts which personally affect us, secure in the knowledge that others would intervene to de-escalate the situation if it becomes charged. Can we support each other?

[Glüc]

* Standing ovation*