Just thinking outside the box

Dear Editor,

After making some comments about having the terrorists’ trials held in Monroeville, I was surprised that my statements, which I deemed to be no more than political swaggering to call attention to the dire state of our town’s economical situation, caused such uproar.

I supposed that my thinking “outside of the box” was not taken literally, but for face value. Those who know me well understood that I was merely stirring the water to cause a ripple to get our town to question the unthinkable and grasp with its underlying concept, so we could seek a positive means for creating an economic boom for this town. Visionaries have to step on the edge in order to bring attention to any crisis that needs to be dealt with immediately and effectively. My rationality is that nothing ever changes, if we never think outside of the box.

One of my favorite authors is Mark Twain. He is well known for being a storyteller, humorist and a moralist; but I give him my personal accolade for his biting wit, gift for irony, and gift for “tongue in cheek” expressions. Known for my intelligence, brassiness and ready wit, I must say that this fracas about the terrorists was my “tongue in cheek expression.”

Some understood it and some didn’t. The ones that did applauded me despite the negativity that I received for my comments. Several of my constituents laughed so hard that tears actually rolled down faces. They knew that I would never jeopardize the safety of any our citizens. As a matter of fact, they commended me for being on the front line, rallying for jobs, fair treatment and economical survival for all citizens.

Mark Twain’s satires portray reason and common sense, but at the expense of those who are “holier-than-thou” and never venture beyond the social or political perimeters of society or government or think outside of the box. If a person takes what a person says on the surface to be true, then he or she completely misses the mark. One of Twain’s famous satirical quotes says, “The trouble is that people, who constitute the grand overwhelming majority of this and all other nations, do believe and are convinced by what they get out of a newspaper.” He felt that a person should be characterized by all actions, not by misconceptions. My people, that is exactly where I fall.

Because of my thinking outside of the box, I have acquired countless grants for the underprivileged and those who have lost everything due to job downsizing and plants closing. I have personally furnished clothing and food to displaced homeowners. I have gone on the front line asking my friends to donate money for a misplaced family of children so they could have a place to spend the night.

In addition, I have sought medical care for those who had no insurance and no means of buying their medicine. I have stepped up to the plate and outside of the box for countless reasons. I will continue to be out front speaking up and speaking out. The article published in “The Monroe Journal“ about my inviting President Obama to allow Monroeville to host the terrorists’ trials in our town reflects the concept presented in Twain’s quote about how the general public perceives things.

Indeed, my ideas were presented in all sincerity as a brilliant new scheme for garnering revenue for my financially distressed town. At the same time, it embraced the boldness of thinking outside of the box. On the surface it voiced the attributes of reason and common sense; but for those who know me, the rationality that it seemed to project underscored the drastic length or measure that small towns have to extend themselves in order to cope with their lack of funding for basic operational costs.

The article captured the attention of the news media for its brashness of expression. Many readers embraced its sincerity with the same enthusiasm as the famous radio announcement, “Martians are coming!” Can you imagine the fervor that this announcement created during its heyday? Again, do not accept everything you hear touted at face value, but use wisdom and common sense to decipher its true meaning. Now, my article has become a telling force through the same “insidious medium of travesty.”

Barbara Turner

Monroeville