I have been too quiet, and it is my dreams that have convicted me.
In my dream, I was talking to someone about politics.
They said, "It's hard to be in the middle ground these days, huh?"
I felt myself recoil. Middle ground?
"But I'm not in the middle ground," my dream self said. "I've taken sides."
I woke up feeling disturbed, convicted. Am I projecting the image that I occupy the middle ground?
Maybe I did stand there, once. But now, I have come to see that this so-called neutral middle ground is not what many would like to think it is. As I just read in Night by Elie Wiesel:
"We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim."
I have been been afraid to take sides. I'm afraid of the backlash. Afraid of what people will think of me. And yet, these are small issues compared to the oppression so many face daily. I should be more afraid that I did not care for the least of these. I should be afraid that I cared more for my reputation than I did for justice.
I've used many excuses to avoid taking sides, and one the biggest is, "But I don't know enough."
What if I post something or say something and then I can't adequately defend or explain my views? I should wait until I've fully researched the issue before I say anything.
But that time never comes. I will never know every detail about every issue. If I waited until I felt like I was an expert on everything, I would never speak up.
Instead, I should speak out and acknowledge that I do not know everything, that I am still learning, that my words and my actions will not be perfect.
I will make mistakes. I already have, in staying silent about the things that matter most.
"Those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow." -Elie Wiesel, Night
I cannot be silent any longer, lest I will be silent forever.
So let it be known. I have taken sides, and I endeavor always to be on the side of the oppressed.
Black Lives Matter.
I welcome refugees.
America is stronger because of its immigrants, documented or no.
Undocumented people deserve better, and the US needs immigration reform.
Transgender people deserve equal rights and equal protection.
Homosexuality is not a sin.
I'm a feminist.
Racism is not going away, and ignoring it does not help.
There is a place at the table for people of all religions.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. I hope to spend time reflecting on these issues more in-depth in the coming months. May it challenge me to become a better person, to find my voice, and to follow those words with actions.
