Outraged Why Everyone is Shouting and No One is Talking

 Outraged Why Everyone is Shouting and No One is Talking

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       September 9, 2020

 

Author  Ashley 'Dotty" Charles

Distributor:      Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN:                 9781526605047
Publisher:         Bloomsbury Publishing
Release Date:   August 2020  

Website:    https://www.bloomsbury.com 

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Ashley “Dotty” Charles poses a theory which absolutely resonates during these troubled times. The more you read into this book, the more deeply you relate to what she is suggesting; that  “Outrage” has become the voice we hear so stridently, but does not necessarily reflect the issues before us.

One of the characters that Ashley interviews states that “Outrage is a tool. That it could be used for good or evil.” If we use outrage to destabilise the power structure, rather than against individual people who support a notion, it would be far more effective. Outrage needs to be channeled and organised to meet a purpose and a goal.

Looking at our modern-day media, there is a mass of destructive, negative thoughts and ideas. Not much is refined enough to seek the core of the discontent that causes the anger in the first place.

Another situation relating to segregation of African Americans blew out of all proportion. Four students sat at the cafeteria in Woolworths at lunch time. They were not served. The following day many more people showed up. They sat there all day and were not served. More people arrived and stayed until eventually Woolworths capitulated and desegregated their lunch bar. This was a quiet action, but so effective that it addresses the issue at the core and affected a change.

In summing up, Dotty Charles says that we have been so pervasive with outrage that it is diluting our moral expression and “Weakening our moral leverage.” We have lost sight of the larger issues in needing “Our space, and accountability.” Worthwhile causes still exist and need to be addressed. Maybe we could relax a little when it comes to examining every word or phrase to evade offence.

Outraged is a thought provoking and charged read for our times.

Non Fiction