“If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity.”
—Albert Einstein
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
—Desmond Tutu
“Your silence gives consent.”
—Plato
Let’s get right to it—there’s some serious shit going down in the US of A.
As one of the 70+ million Americans who voted against DJT three times, I’m over this guy and his sycophants. However, some of my fellow countrymen (and women) have decided that “taking a stand” or “calling your federal rep” or “showing up at rallies” is somehow mandatory for everyone on our side of the aisle.
Okay, I get it. You’re most likely coming at this from a comfortable position of privilege. You’re posting about it, not storming the capital like a lefty mirror image of January 6th. Your situation is far from unique. But guess what? Not everyone has that luxury.
Why Silence Isn’t Always Complicity
One might wonder why others would remain silent in the face of so many injustices. After all, this could affect anyone who doesn’t agree with this regime and its jackbooted thugs!
Well, here’s the deal. Some of us are in much different circumstances.
Let me explain something about my wife and me. I’m a regular American citizen, born and raised. She, on the other hand, is a naturalized American citizen, and holds Thai citizenship from the country of her birth.
Like it or not, among my jobs as a husband is to provide and protect. When you live in the US as a foreigner—and, I must emphasize, a non-Caucasian foreigner—your need for protection is perhaps greater today than at any time in the last century.
Escape from America
As you read this, I have become an expatriate. My lovely wife and I are in Thailand. I’ve retired from the daily grind, and she’s permanently reunited with her family. We have no plans to return to the US any time soon.
You can certainly argue that having a passport and the means to move abroad is, by definition, a position of privilege. I won’t argue the point. But until we were already out of the US, there was no way in hell I would jeopardize my wife’s or my own safety by taking a stand, or writing my rep, or whatever action the hashtag warriors want to endorse.
Finally, take a second look at those quotes above. It’s so easy to agree with Einstein and Bishop Tutu. But what about Plato? Does silence equal consent in the #MeToo era?
Okay, then. Let’s get real. And let’s try to move toward a little more civility going forward. Chastising cautious fellow citizens because they’re not as “brave” as you is no way to grow a movement or resist a regime. And remember, strength in numbers is best when the people on one side of the fence work together.
