Quote on Acting in Situations of Injustice and How Silence Is As Bad As Injustice Itself

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
Desmond Tutu

Beyond the Quote (149/365)

Love is as love does; Hate is as hate does; Indifference doesn’t do. Both hate and love do; care is involved. In the case of love, we care for ourselves and others and so we express it in the form of positive, constructive, kind, mindful actions. Love is not something that can be expressed through intention only.

In the case of hate, we care against ourselves and others and so we express it in the form of negative, cold, vile, destructive, even malevolent actions. Hate, like love, can only be expressed through action and extends beyond the realm of intention. When hate is expressed, it is an acted upon intention to hurt, demean, control, or even kill another living being.

Indifference is different, however, in that no care is involved. Silence is the absence of care. Silence is the stance of neutral. Silence is as harmful as hate. For, if hate is being expressed and the people around are silent—wouldn’t that imply that all are in agreement with what is happening? Wouldn’t it follow that if hate is being expressed and the people around speak up and actively oppose that hate with love, wouldn’t that, in fact, imply that what is happening is NOT agreed upon and rather needs to be stopped? Doing nothing is the same as supporting what was (or is being) done.

What we need during times of hate are people who are ready and willing to speak up and act on what they believe to be right. People who aren’t choosing to remain silent and in favor of the oppressor. People who are ready to call out those who need to be held responsible for unjust actions. People who are willing to stand up to those who are running and supporting broken, unfair, and inhumane systems. People who are clear in thought, deliberate with their actions, and committed in their resolve to a better, more just, more fair, more humane world.

No one person should ever dismiss their voice or ability to influence change in a time of injustice. For, all it takes is the voice of one person to disrupt a silent crowd. All it takes is the courage of one person to show other people that they can be courageous too. All it takes is one person to say, “ENOUGH!”, for everyone else to question their thoughts, actions, and stances towards what’s happening in the world. For, where do all movements start? With one. And what are all movements made up of? Individuals—singular people who have chosen not to remain silent.

And in order for that movement to affect change, it needs the silent majority to wake up and realize their power. It needs the bystanders to stand up. It needs as many people to march forward and become a part of movement as possible. For, the movement is only ever as strong as the people who march behind it. We cannot let the weight and burden of injustice rest only on the shoulders of those who have been directly affected. We all need to share that burden. We need to seek to understand and empathize with the injustice that has been displayed and become a part of the solution. Because if we are not FOR change—if we are silent about it, then we are against it.

Now is not the time to spectate. Now is not the time to watch. Now is not the time to stand by. What we need now more than ever are people, like you, to become a part of the movement for change. If not now, when? If not as a result of the atrocities of today, what atrocities will it take? If not because you’re unaffected, what about when you are? Who will you hope to have by your side? We need to be there for others the way we would want others to be there for us.

For, as Martin Luther King Jr., said so iconically, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” What has happened to George Floyd and so many others cannot be left unchecked. It cannot be left unchallenged. For, this is a threat to justice everywhere. I hope you will find your courage, find your voice, find your feet, and help march in this movement to lead the world to a better tomorrow—with vigor and safety for all in mind. I’m not saying this because I’m hoping for you—I’m saying this because we need you. Now is the time to take a stand.

This post became the introduction for: 40 Empowering Quotes on Justice and How Silence Is As Bad As Injustice Itself