11-02-2006, 03:09 PM
Bismillah
As Salam alaikum
Sorry to say but that is incorrect...
Back before politicians and pundents ( or really anyone who wanted to give a speech) could appear on T.V. and radio, they would have to travel from town to town to spread their opinion. A speech could be spawned from any question that people would ask so a means to make sure that the speaker could be heard was needed.
Back then, soap was shipped in wooden crates. Because a bunch of soap is heavy, the crates would be very sturdy. The crate would be turned open end down so the speaker could have a platform from which to speak. The speaker could then be seen and heard by a bigger crowd. This has resulted in a colloquialism of "getting up on my soapbox," meaning that a person is giving a long opinion or a tirade about some issue. People will also give a long opinion or a very empahtic opinion and will sometimes say when they are finished, "I'll get off my soapbox now" or something along those lines. Also if one hears a person being long-winded and opinionated, one can say "Get off your soapbox."
The thread starter can correct me but I believe the title is a license for us to give our opinions, no matter how "strong" they are. He just wants to hear our view.
As Salam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu