Week 12

Of those who say nothing, few are silent ~ Thomas Neile

This quote can be taken in many different ways. One can think of it in terms of those who can not speak for themselves; those that do not have a voice of their own because of their life’s circumstances. This could apply to those who are oppressed, disabled or with a low status in our society. It could also be looked at in terms of actions speaking louder than words because people often say more by what they do than what they say. Silence can also be a very powerful tool too and it is not always necessary to voice your opinion to get a point across.
Unfortunately in today’s society of “who can yell loudest gets the most attention,” those who are silent get over looked. Their message gets lost and often their rights get trampled and swept under the table. For those who can’t speak for themselves those of us who can must speak for them. We must collaborate with them to get their message across. This is particularly important in working towards fair access for those who are disabled. In many movements for equality it is not until those with the power get involved that change occurs. This statement hold true for both stages of the Civil Rights movement and in some ways the feminist movement. It could also be said that a lack of cross over support for marriage equality for gays and lesbians has stunted their goals. When people standby silently and let the majority rule over the minority they are really saying, “it’s ok, I like only allowing the majorities wishes to come true.” When we stand by silently and allow the rights of the disabled to get trumped we are sending a message to those in power that we are ok with it. Since most people aren’t, in fact, ok with the rights of American’s who are disabled being stepped on we must use our voices to stop it from happening. Silence is compliance and the message comes out loud and clear everyday when we say nothing.