All weekend I've wondered what to say. What I even feel. Rage? Fear? Hurt? And then I realized that these are the feelings that so many people live with every single day. And there are no words for that, only actions.
So many thoughts have been shared by so many people, expressing that rage, hurt, and fear… and amongst it all I keep coming back to these, from the heart of Elie Wiesel:
“We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. We must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.”
Indecision is a decision. Silence is a choice. And neutrality is a side.
Today I encourage you to speak up. If you are reading this right now, then you have a platform to stand on and speak from. It doesn't matter if your audience is 10,000, 10, or 10,000,000.
Get up on your platform and speak.
Because silence says just as much as screaming.