In this noisy world, why not a day to be more quiet?
PROPOSAL FOR A NOISE-FREE DAY
There are special days for every event under the sun yet there hasn’t been a proposal for a
Noise-Free Day. Why not? It would be so refreshing in this noisy world to at least have less or
at least muted noises. There would need to be exceptions of course for emergency vehicles.
Ways to observe the special day could include teaching children to have “inside,” i.e. quieter,
voices as opposed to “outside” voices. Children’s voices are so shrill and piercing. They use
them to get your attention. Sometimes they get it. If not, they just become louder. They are
never too young to learn,
Don’t use your horn unless an absolute necessity. Turn the volume down on your TV and/or
radio, in your home or in your car. Boom boxes are sometimes so loud they vibrate the areas
around them.
Turn down, or turn off, the music in restaurants and other businesses so conversations can take
place. It will astonish both the staff and the clients. It might also cut down on the hearing-aid
business.
Control your impatience and anger by practicing a quieter tone of voice no matter to whom it is
directed. You could learn a thing or two about yourself - and relationships.
Close doors softly - no slamming allowed on Noise-Free Day. Skip the vacuuming on this
special day as they aren’t very quiet instruments.
Noise, according to The New American Desk Encyclopedia, is any unwanted sound. People vary
in their sensitivity to noise but everyone’s hearing would be less impacted by lower decibels.
Usually there is a legal decibel level in your community. If monitors were installed in various
places no doubt the decibel level would far exceed the legal limit.
To observe a Noise-Free Observance Day would at least give us pause to be objective about how
much we individually add to the noise of the world. How about January 2 to listen to the
silence? After the cacophony of New Years Eve, how appropriate.
Democratic Dilemmas and Divine Inspiration examines the significance or relevance of the idea that the U.S. Constitution was, as many believe, divinely inspired. How much did that belief matter to founders of the nation and how much does it matter no