As children in school, we were taught to stand up for people who are bullied. If we see someone being mistreated, speak up, tell a teacher and DO SOMETHING. Why as adults, do we think it is ok to just sit in the corner and keep quiet?
Is it fear? Fear of being seen as one of “those peopl
e” who care too much or are always talking? I completely understand that. We want to blend in especially if we are naturally introverts, there is no reason to show attention to ourselves if we don’t have to. Let’s imagine something, what if that was your kid being picked on at school? And when you talked to the teacher, they responded with “Well, Jimmy didn’t want to say anything was happening because he was afraid to stand out.” How would you feel? I know for me, I would want to give Little Jimmy a piece of my mind.
Is it not wanting to offend people? In my opinion, there is no one in your life who should be offended for you standing up for injustice and if they are, maybe you should reconsider your circle.
Is it that you are unaware how injustices make people feel? If so, I would like to encourage you to ask questions. Ask a friend or acquaintance to coffee, walk in with an open mind and have a conversation. I believe that once you have conversations with people who have been affected by injustices in their lives, you will be more willing to stand up for people in the future.
What if the next time you see a viral video on Facebook of someone being mistreated, you imagine that he is your son? I think that would make you stop and imagine how his parents feel sending him out into the world unprotected.
When I hear stories of blatant racism in our country, my heart breaks, my skin crawls and then I get angry. Why you may ask? Because those are my kids. My son now is an extremely handsome 13 year old boy who I know has a heart of gold and would do whatever he can to stop injustice. However, he is now at the age where he is seen as a MAN, as a threat simply for walking in a neighborhood someone may not think he belongs in.
I realize this is a very simplistic version of a huge problem our country is facing. When it comes to racial or sexist injustice, human nature is to freeze and not say anything. The best weapon we have in life is our voice. We have the power to speak out against things that we believe are not right. The next time you see an injustice, speak up and say something!
