Why it matters to speak up
I am very conflict adverse. So I spent a lot of my life keeping very quiet, and almost a decade being afraid of people. But there was an event back in 2009 that made me realise: if I don’t fight for my own rights, I have no right to expect others to do it.
Fast forward to 2017. I have found myself in several situations where I am looking at a respected person’s facebook status while several emotions course through me: anger, disbelief, sadness, disappointment, loss of trust, among others.
The easier way out for me is just to ignore it. Which I did sometimes, admittedly. There is just so much to fight for, I can’t pick every battle. There is such a thing as activism fatigue. We get to a point where it seems like nothing we do matter. We do it at a risk of burning bridges, and being perceived as the “person who is always angry”.
But each time I choose to ignore something, I am saying that:
…the safety of minorities do not matter. That I am privileged and I can afford to ignore discrimination because I am not the one being discriminated and it wouldn’t affect the outcome of my life. That I have forgotten that the rights I have today comes from the sacrifices and suffering of those before me. That I choose comfort over the well-being of others. I am signalling to some of my friends that their future does not matter, that I will not be willing to stand up and speak up for them if they come into danger, when their sovereignty as a person comes into doubt.
But it matters. Each time a friend stands up for LGBTQ rights I feel supported. Each time someone shares an awareness message for mental health it gives me hope for living. Each time a person in power sends a strong message to their communities to signal their outrage towards hate and bigotry it makes us feel we are in solidarity — we are not alone, we are in this together, we can make progress together.
It matters to speak up. It is unfortunate but we are now in a competition of signals. What are the signals are we sending to our kids? Is it a world full of hate, competition, winner-takes all, bullying, violence? Each time we keep silent, we are choosing to boost these signals. We are saying that this behavior is okay. We are tolerating intolerance and one day we’ll just be crowded out by people capable of louder signals. Will our kids feel protected and hopeful in this world? Will young girls feel like they can have a career at Google? Will minorities be able to stop fearing for their safety?
These are hard questions. But we have to contemplate them.
I’ll rather burn bridges and preserve what’s left of my humanity. For those of you who have chosen to speak up: thank you, from the bottom of my heart. You have given some of us a little hope, in a world full of harsh conditions.
“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention…I’ll rather have my child but if we’re going to give her up, we have to make it count.” — mother of Heather Heyer
