Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” With ongoing divisions, misinformation, and the growing influence of powerful individuals seeking to oppress vulnerable peoples, the responsibility to make our voice heard is crucial.
In this digital age, it is easy to tweet our rage, change our profile pictures in solidarity, or engage in battle behind the safety and anonymity of our online handle. But as quickly as our stinging quip is posted, it is just as quickly swallowed by the storming sea of rhetoric that is social media. To tweet is not enough.
This piece is a call to stand out and speak up. Write to your elected officials, stand outside in protest, make changes to your behaviors, go read, have uncomfortable conversations with friends and family, and inspire people to do the same. Forget thoughts and prayers and likes – now is the time for action and upset. Refuse to look away. Refuse to be silent. Refuse to blend in.