The sound of silence
I’ve always believed that the age-old saying “Silence speaks louder than words” doesn’t quite get it right. It comes right to the cusp of what we mean when we say it, but it doesn’t quite get there.
It’s like a song that’s missing its final note.
Sometimes silence is a hollow form of avoidance, but sometimes it’s just a hum of restraint. But no matter the intent, what silence does is leave room for other noise to rush in and define the space.
That is what the silence by city of Fernley officials did in the wake of City Councilman Stan Lau’s arrest last month and two previous incidents when he yelled at other councilmembers during budget hearings in April and May.
The public reaction to the first two incidents was only akin to a murmur from an audience; that murmur became a clamor after Lau was arrested on Aug. 18. Then the City’s continued silence acted less like a shield and more like an amplifier. The lack of a response from the city didn’t dampen the noise, it gave it room to echo.
It’s entirely possible that a statement by the city would have done nothing to lessen the noise, but it might have at least changed the narrative.
There’s a reason that when government jurisdictions or major corporations issue a statement after an arrest or a controversial act by an elected official or high-ranking officer, they usually say nothing more than that they are aware of the incident and will await the outcome before taking any action.
Those statements may say nothing, but they say it strategically. Of course, the public often sees through the vagueness. But the point isn’t to satisfy curiosity or bloodlust, it’s to maintain the appearance of procedural fairness. Especially in today’s society, silence does just the opposite.
And that’s the paradox at the heart of modern public communication. Silence doesn’t sooth, it agitates. It doesn’t preserve trust, it erodes it. When local leaders choose not to speak, they don’t just leave questions unanswered, they leave narratives unchallenged.
In that vacuum, speculation runs rampant, frustration becomes fury and the public’s appetite for accountability grows louder. And when the stakes involve elected officials and public trust, silence can speak volumes in all the wrong ways.
That’s why the old saying “Silence speaks louder than words” still falls short. Because silence doesn’t speak louder, it allows other voices to speak for you.
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