Is Silence Not An Act of Violence Too?
In Eastern Philosophy there is a quote “silence is the most powerful scream”. I do not agree with this. Whether it be peer pressure, fear, or social conditioning, we have all been silent during instances that we should have spoken up. But what we don’t realize is that others can interpret silence as weakness, acceptance, and even obedience.
If silence really is the most powerful scream then why are the screams of millions of women all over the planet falling on deaf ears? Why are the screams of minorities going unheard? Why is the person who speaks the loudest winning?
Yes, silence can be a powerful scream if the others care enough to notice. But what if they don’t care? What if they don’t notice? And why are those that speak up against oppression and submission, termed disruptors or angry young children?
I was not brought up to be silent I was brought up to speak up and demand for my rights. My parents never told me that silence is a virtue in a woman. They empowered me to stand up for what I believe in and to defend those in need. Now I understand that I am privileged in this upbringing. But there comes a point in all of our lives when we have to take a stand when we have to pick a side when we HAVE to speak up!
If we continue to remain silent and neutral, women and children will continue to be raped, minority rights will continue to be suppressed, LGBTQ rights will continue to be squashed. The next time you remain silent when a co-worker is harassed, or when your husband harasses young women in his office, or when your father abuses your mother, ask yourself — is your silence a victimless crime? Or is it an act of violence?
If silence is really golden, why did India only gain independence from British rule after civil disobedience? Why did Martin Luther King speak up?
Why is it that every time rights are violated it requires civil disobedience and mass protests to dismantle the system? Every great moment in history has transpired not because of silence but because of a collective outcry.
So the next time we remain silent we need to ask ourselves — what does my silence really signify? Speaking up doesn’t always mean war and silence doesn’t always mean peace.