Twice bitten, but not shy

Submitted by Nancy Yockey Bonar on January 16, 2012 - 02:00

Twice bitten, but not shy

By Nancy Yockey Bonar

Author’s note: This is about one local radio talk show host. It’s not a glittering generality for all radio hosts/commentators.

Knock me over with a feather! As a lightweight history buff, I’m admitting: I hadn’t been fully aware of more than the first stanza of The National Anthem/The Star-Spangled Banner.

I was recently enlightened about this by a radio talk show host while driving my car -- a radio guy I seldom listen to because he’s an arrogant, irrespective know-it-all. Also, he's twice burned me when I called in with factual information for on-air topics.

Golly, in the aftermath of my first on-air call even a grocery clerk I’ve known for ages asks me in the store, “Aren’t you the Nancy that (radio guy) was so rude to?” “Yes, Curtis, it was me. How didya know?” She answers, “You’re the only one I’ve met who knows enough about both the Navy and submarines (to educate radio guy.)”

I waited six more months before daring to once again put my toes – or mouth – into radio guy’s waters. But before punching in the station's phone number, I'd pulled from my long-used professional communications kit (brain) the three-bullet rule, message tool. It's one of the tools I'd given to clients during communications and presentation training. Each bullet is one, or a maxium of two, short sentences/messages that emphasize a point. The tool also has short, non-bullet phrases for use in bridging back to the messages. Such phrases are especially handy for controlling an interview with, say, a gotcha-type, dog-with-a-bone journalist or with a vocally disagreeable member of an audience.

I'm ready. With three bullets jotted down, I call the station.

First bullet: “Hi, (Radio Guy), this is Nancy. I want to say what a valuable service you provide to listeners.” Response: “gracious blah-blah.” Second bullet: “I’m responding to a statement you made that I think is incorrect. You said...” Whoops! I can see his back stiffening, lips pursing and armor being donned. Readers take note: I shouldn’t have used “is incorrect” but, rather, “statement you made that needs some clarification.”

Sticking to my guns – and ignoring Radio Guy’s stomping on my words as he scrambles to justify the aforementioned statement -- I shoot the third bullet: “I know for certain what the facts are because..." Well, what could he say, how could he save face, make me appear even more like a buffoon? Ah ha, Radio Guy got me with, "Well, you're wrong. You've twisted my words. We're coming up on a break." Click. The phone goes dead.

Dang! I'd forgotten to bridge back to my three bullets/messages with phrases like "You've made a good point, but let me say..." or "I'd like to emphasize that..." But, then, it's unlikely these would have helped win the battle with Radio Guy, although I DID score a victory. I'm sticking with my national radio talk show hero, the intellegent and gracious Jim Bohannon.

Back to The National Anthem The last time I tuned in, Radio Guy was driving a personal band wagon to make official one of the three secondary verses to our historically, publicly sung and flag-pledged The National Anthem. I didn’t catch his preferred second verse. So, I emailed him, again using my “gracious, stroking” first bullet; then the second one: “I like your idea about having more than one official verse for our anthem. Third bullet: "When I was listening to you, the heavy road traffic distracted me from catching your choice of a second verse. Please let me know. My contact info is below. Thank you."

No email response. In fairness, Radio Guy might have given me an on-air response, but I wasn’t listening. It’s not because I’m shy about calling in for fear he’ll again negate me. I just don’t allow such verbally abusive, control freaks in my life.

Question to Ponder Which, if any, would you choose as the second, official verse of The National Anthem/The Start-Spangled Banner?

‘O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation.
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust "