Have you been in a place and all of a sudden you hear a loud gunshot in the air, what becomes your first reaction? Well, it is a common thing to hear a sudden gunshot in Nigeria so I presume some of you who are from the Western world may not understand the scenario I am trying to create here. It is not a pleasant surprise to hear a gunshot unknowingly especially when you are in a place where one might call a low-security zone. When this happens, your whole mind and body shut down at the instance because of the wave of emotional rush caused by complete confusion.
In this situation, you may end up running into incoming danger out of fear that is if you can move your legs because most times you will notice that your legs will freeze. It is always an event no one wants to witness either knowingly or unknowingly. For those in the military once they hear a gunshot, they will take cover because they understand that there is a possibility of being the target, so to avoid becoming a casualty, they will lie flat on the floor if there are no blockades to cover with.
Do not misunderstand the reason for this article to be for the military or accidental discharge of the gun rather I want us to look at the title as regards our mouth as humans. The human mouth is known for talking with the aid of the tongue, holding food and water, it is also the house for the tongue and the teeth. I am not going to bore you with stories of what the mouth is used for rather I will go straight into the main reason for this article. To do that, I will like to seek your permission for me to rephrase the title of this article to Accidental Discharge of the Mouth. I guess you already know what I am going to be talking about right now but for the sake of those who do not know, I will delve straight into the matter.
Accidental Discharge of the Mouth
I have already established what it feels like for one to hear a sudden gunshot in the first paragraph of this article. Now, let me explain what accidental discharge means. In the military, it is common knowledge that any military personnel carrying a gun in a non-hostile environment must have put the trigger on the lock to avoid accidental discharge. What this means is that if for any reason accidental discharge happens, the military personnel whose gun discharges accidentally is and should be queried for his carelessness. Just like the gun, the mouth has a lock that is activated by the closing of the upper and lower lips of the mouth as a way to minimize or reduce the number of words that comes out of it. Now, some people will be wondering to understand the direction this article is heading to but let me make it clearer by asking this question. Have you ever said something and later regretted saying it? As you are trying to answer the question, let me move on with the connection I want to make.
The Overflow of the Mouth
It is not just the cup or the ocean that overflows, our mouth can overflow when we do not put a check on the things we say. The painful thing is that once we have allowed something to go out of our mouth in form of words especially when the words are hurtful, there is no way to unsay them. Just like the sound of a gun gotten from an accidental discharge whereby the bullet has gone off and if for any reason it hits a target either a living thing or a non-living thing, the result will always be disastrous. This is also the same with the mouth. Whenever you say something you never meant to say, it has gone off and it will surely affect whether positive or negative, this is why you must be very mindful of what comes out of your mouth in form of words.
Do not say that you have freedom of speech and because of that you can say anything you like even when you know that it might cause another person’s life. The accidental discharge of the mouth is more deadly than that of the mouth because the mouth is more powerful than the gun. We were thought that the world was created by words of the mouth even though those scientists who do believe in God have a contrary view to that.
No Moral Justification
While we seek and ask that the military whose gun discharged accidentally be punished for his carelessness, we should also know that there is no moral justification for speaking anyhow or saying things that can hurt others without having a second thought. You may say that you were angry therefore you spoke out of anger. My good friend, if your words make one go into solitude which finally led to death, you have become a murderer this is why you must try as much as possible to weigh anything and everything that comes out of your mouth because once it is said, there is no way to unsay them. Even if you apologize for what you have said, you will understand that the apology will not erase it from the mind of the person therefore I urge you to always put your mouth in safety mood just as careful military personnel will lock his trigger by putting it in safety mood.
Don’t forget that accidental discharge of the mouth is more deadly than the accidental discharge of the gun. Also, remember that we are always faced with a situation where we may not be able to control what comes out of our mouth, therefore we should always be prepared to lock our tongue by closing our upper and lower lip together and if it requires and extra effort, we should not hesitate to do so.
I love you all. Please stay safe.
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God bless this country Nigeria.