Today I want to talk about silence. It is a bitter venom that seeps into our lives. The toxins it unleashes create loneliness, fear, hate, even death. As Simon & Garfunkel so stated in song "...silence, like a cancer, grows..." Sadly though it does not have to.
Have you ever ignored someone for being different? Have you ever stopped replying to someones e-mails or phone calls? Have you left a date waiting and not shown up? Have you... The list goes on.
We may lie to ourselves and others that it is for the best, we are avoiding hurting someone or a creating conflict, we may even believe we are avoiding drama and helping a person to move on. In reality though we are selfish, prideful, and disrespecting.
People deserve respect and dignity. You protect no one but yourself when you dismiss people. I don't know about you but I would rather be temporarily hurt by rejection than to be ignored. To ignore someone lowers them in your eyes as not even deserving attention. We as LGBT should know this lesson well.
How many people are depressed because they are lonely or are denied an outlet for their thoughts and feelings? How many have low self esteem because they are brutally rejected without knowledge why? How many people, in such fragile times, find courage to reach out and are ignored. This silence is brutal.
I think by now we have all heard of the bullying deaths this last year. How children and young adults were pushed and tormented to a point where life held no further worth. How many were silent? Teachers and schools who did nothing or said nothing, news outlets who ignored events until their sensational end, people who knew yet did not stand up. This is a cruel silence.
To ignore someone so badly hurting and in distress is unfathomable to me. Am I the only one who smiles at people who look sad, stands for those being assailed, asks if someone is alright... I think we have all become to shell shocked to the horrors in Humanity. We duck our heads and move on. Only when something truly new and horrific happens do we stand. This is not acceptable.
We have to look after and protect each other in life. It may not be so evident but our destiny's are all intertwined and it matters how we treat and help people. It matters when people hurt and it matters when you see it. We all have value and deserve help. Don't be silent.
Have you ever known the influential ones in the LGBT community that have the masses flock to them. They pay wonderful lip service but when it is essential they use their voice for important things they are silent? They continue their sermon of this and that ignoring whats most important, people.
I don't believe the popular people I refer to can do everything but they should try to do more. When your efforts are spent maintaining your popularity and at times money flow you may cash in. But is the profit just? People are more important than your fame, your money, or even your adoration. When you toss the greater concerns of our precious youth aside to play social games or meander down the superficial you hurt us all.
There is a time and a place for triviality and there is a time and place to stand. If that stand costs you popularity or fortune so be it. At least you stood for what is right, people! If we can not all enjoy, thrive, or even live then your silence is another nail in a coffin.This silence is selfish.
I think we all see the radical elements in our society forming and lashing out. They manipulate laws, harass with legality, even wrap themselves in sheep's clothing pretending they are a member of the flock, for its own protection. Yet they stand only opposed by the few.
Good men and women can do bad things. I am not judging personal belief. Everyone is entitled to that. But to stand silent when you know something to be wrong or dismiss it as none of your concern is a nasty silence.
When you allow the perpetuation of lies, hate, and violence you are just as guilty as those initiating the act. For we all have a choice. This is not an issue of self protection, fear, or even one that does not affect you. The act of standing for all people is one of essence. Only when we honor Humanity do we fully become Human.
Life includes conflict, strife, drama, and most importantly people. When you dismiss any of it you create silence and you begin to deny Humanity. I believe in love and choosing to shape your life according to it. But when you ignore that which does not appeal to you or is not important to you you deny a Human somewhere, someplace.
Break the Silence!
Love is Never Wrong
What I think lies at the root of this issue of ignoring people we see who are clearly hurting, is we aren't meant to live in such large communities. If we still had functioning neighborhoods, with shops, schools, restaurants and churches, and actually shopped, learned, ate and worshiped in our neighborhoods life would be much better for us.
ReplyDeleteWe have lost that interconnectivitity that I feel humans need. Which is how I explain the recent need to know every single thing about "famous" people. They have become our defacto neighborhood, and for many people they see them as "friends". And instead of going out and mingling with actual people, many of us stay at home and watch our "friends" on tv on in movies.
How to repair this decades long trend? That is a question to pose to someone much wiser than I.
As for the spread of hatred around our country? It's quite easy to hate people you dont personally know, but an entirely different emotion to hate someone you know. Sitting in your living room hearing someone on the tv go on and on about how the "gays" are ruining our country, and how trans people have made bathrooms unsafe for women and children. Its quite easy to build up resentment for these unknown people.
However, hating your Aunt Sue's youngest boy who is gay is ever so much harder. And that very nice woman at work who is trans? You see that she wouldnt hurt a fly, nor a child. Its quite hard to hate lgbt people if your not aware of knowing any.
Asking famous people to take a stand can be tricky. And at times I think it actually does more harm than good. What we need are decent human beings to stand up and demand civil rights, equal rights for all of our citizens.