|
FREE Resources
Goings On
Reads
Info Saint Peter Presbyterian Church
Visit Our Friends
Unless otherwise noted, |
R.C. Sproul Jr. What would you think of a person who approached you while
you were at work, sat down beside you, and began to tell you about why
you should buy long distance service from him? How about it you were in
the park, reading a book? What if you were doing nothing at all? I presume
that you would be outraged. But what would you do if someone broke into
your home, and promptly began to explain what a great idea it would be
for you to put siding on your house? It's even worse, but it happens all
the time. I've tried a number of approaches. "Yes, I'd love to talk to you about subscribing to Low-Life Magazine. Give me your home phone and I'll call you there and we can talk about it." The response is always the same, "Uh, would you like to speak to my supervisor?" "Yes, what is his home number?" I've tried turning the tables on them, "I'm so glad you called. I've got this Volvo wagon I'm trying to sell. It has low miles, is safe and reliable..." I'm still waiting for a free day when I can spend eight hours saying, "Interesting, tell me more" and then say no thanks after the shift ends. This one also doesn't work, "Thanks for calling. You have helped me make a decision about my long distance carrier. I don't do business with people who call me, so it won't be you" and this variation, "Because you called me to offer me credit insurance I will be cutting up your card, and going with a different company that doesn't call me." I've run out of patience, and am down to one option, shame. The only way for us to stop this invasion is to make telephone soliciting utterly shameful. We can drive them away with scorn. Their livelihood depends upon their knowledge that enough of us are too polite, too timid, too weak to tell them when and where to get off. Be bold and tell them to get a real job. Tell the callers that they are the lowest form of human life on the planet, that they are thieves of our time and our peace, that they are uninvited intruders and if the law and technology allowed, we would shoot them like rabid dogs. It's up to us to stop this menace. Please, form a local Banish All Soliciting Telephoners Association, Regular Division Syndicate, and help take a bite back of time. (Originally written for Covenant Syndicate, date unknown.) |
