The Shot Heard Around The World!!!

Have you ever heard that expression used in our history classes. It originated from the opening stanza of Ralph Waldo Emerson's Concord Hymn (1837), and describes the impact of the battle at Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775. It essentially was the opening shot that signalled the official start of The American War Of Independence...The entire stanza is:

"By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world."

According to wikipedia, "Emerson wrote Concord Hymn for the dedication of a battle monument very close to his family's home, and the words are meant to emphasize that a critical event happened at this location that triggered something of global importance". (highlights mine)

The account in wikipedia goes on further to suggest about this event, "It is often thought that firing the shot was meant to represent the beginning of a struggle for freedom against perceived tyranny, and the hearing represents the worldwide spread of this struggle with the American Revolution serving as an example".

Maybe the first "Bridge Over Troubled Waters"!

Perceived tyranny is taking place in the real estate industry right now, as we speak...it has taken the form of 'legal kickbacks' and is running rampant in many parts of our beloved nation! In most cases it hides behind the false representation of "affiliated business arrangement", but it nevertheless is an illegal kickback violating the laws of RESPA...in its least ugly form it poses as "illegal steering", also a violation under these same RESPA regulations!

Today a new Active Rain member, Dawn Rodriguez, writing her first post, put it succinctly...writing both from her heart and her experience, she outlined the real problem that this writer has skirted and pranced around under the guise of tact and compassion for over four months and 150 posts now! And for that I commend her publicly and salute her frankness and forthrightness!

Even her conclusions make sense.

I do not want to dilute her message, but I encourage every Active Rain member to read her post and I further suggest that this post be discussed among fellow coworkers and at office meetings.

Brothers and sisters on Active Rain...this is the kind of professionalism we ought to be about promoting, and welcome this breath of fresh air into our industry and our individual workplaces!