Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "There comes a time when silence is betrayal. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
It is now recognized that those who are silent on social justice issues are even more guilty of the atrocities, than those who commit the acts themselves. In this hyper cable and social media culture that we live in, we should be ashamed that we are used to calling out people for the hateful and racist things that they say, as they should be. However, it is time to call people out for remaining SILENT.
Take for instance the two members of Congress right here in the Inland Empire. Their press comments and social media posts are full of denouncements relating to the racist and hateful treatment of immigrants (as they should), Jews (as they should), and the LGBTQ community (as they should). However, we hear nothing from them regarding reparations for their black constituents, the murders of black people by law enforcement, or mass shootings in black churches. You have to wonder why, when they represent the largest black population in the state of California. It's because there is no political benefit in doing so. THAT IS RACIST! They should be ashamed of themselves for their SILENCE.
No, we are not calling them racists. They are just committing instances of racism through their silence. Silence allows the cancer of racism to spread and become legitimized or normalized. Fighting racism isn't acts of convenience, they are acts of courage against popular mainstream thoughts or political opinions. Marinate on that.
Pushing Dignity and Humanity Forward
Comments