Say something, even when it doesn't affect you...

Suzi’s Secrets #11:

Recent events and the reactions to those events from the public have me thinking. And those thoughts must be expressed. My inner child will no longer be silenced. 

As a female child in the church I grew up in, we had a hard line to tow. We were to be seen and not heard. It was important to only have the opinion of the male authority figures in the church and it was not safe to have independent thoughts and even less safe to voice them. The females that voiced the opinions that supported the male authority figures, that was acceptable. Applauded even. Because of this I retreated within myself. I made the mistake of voicing an opinion a couple times where I thought I’d be safe, with family.

I learned how unsafe it was to speak and so I learned to be quiet.  I learned that it was safer to keep my opinions to myself. 

I retreated within. I was safe within. I was my own safe space. 

Shortly after these realizations, we got a new pastor in our church. While he touted the same idealogy as the administration and preached the same doctrine, he was a humanitarian at his core. He would see me stay quiet in discussions and not voice any opinions. I wasn’t about to voice opinions that I didn’t believe, so I’d just not say anything. He told me pretty often that I was not shy, that I was a leader. In the end, I believed him and it started me on an extroverted journey. I became a seeker of attention. I craved the spotlight. I learned to become very good at public speaking. I even won awards as a teen. But in spite of being so outgoing, I still retained that belief that my opinions weren’t safe to speak. 

So I stayed quiet… Usually.

Every so often, some event would happen and I just couldn’t stay quiet. Usually, when this happened, there was some sort of injustice going on that infringed on someone’s constitutional rights. 

I remember once in grade school, a fellow classmate accused me of not believing in anything. I stood up and proclaimed to him that I believe in God, I believe in my family and I believe in the United States of America. 

The United States of America that I believed in as a kid is in jeopardy. Too many people have their heads in the sand, because it’s easier to ignore the writing on the wall than it is to actually say something. And much easier than actually taking action.

I’ll leave with you with a story about the importance of saying something before it’s too late…

There was a war going on in a man's country and they were rounding up people and killing them by the 1000s. But man did nothing. When asked about why he was at the Pearly Gates he said:

"They talked about killing 1000s and making our country unified, but it was only talk. So I said nothing.

Then they started rounding up people that had red hair, but I had blond hair. So I said nothing.

Then they started rounding up people with brown eyes, but I had blue eyes. So I said nothing.

Then they started rounding up the Jewish people, but I am not Jewish. So I said nothing.

Then they started rounding up men and women protesting, but I was quiet and said nothing.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to say anything."

If we wait, If we say nothing, because we weren't directly affected, eventually there's no one left to stand for us.