“‘That’s why people are speaking out, huh? Because it won’t change if we don’t say something.’ ‘Exactly. We can’t be silent.’ ‘So I can’t be silent.’ Daddy stills. He looks at me. I see the fight in his eyes. I matter more to him than a movement. I’m his baby, and I’ll always be his baby, and if being silent means I’m safe, he’s all for it. This is bigger than me and Khalil though. This is about Us, with a capital U; everybody who looks like us, feels like us, and is experiencing this pain with us despite not knowing me or Khalil. My silence isn’t helping Us. Daddy fixes his gaze on the road again. He nods. ‘Yeah. Can’t be silent.'”
Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give (Page 171)
Martin Luther King Jr. Quote on Violence and How To Fight For The Light Without Adding More Darkness
“I’m concerned about a better world. I’m concerned about justice; I’m concerned about brotherhood; I’m concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about that, he can never advocate violence. For through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can’t murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate through violence. Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
Beyond the Quote (152/365)
“No justice, no peace” shouldn’t be interpreted as a direct call to violence. Rather, it’s a statement that so clearly points out that justice and peace go hand-in-hand and that without one, you simply cannot have the other. It’s a chant that means as long as injustice prevails, acting peacefully is a moral impossibility. It’s a chant that points out that peace isn’t just the absence of war, but the presence of justice. For, how can we live in peace if we know that justice isn’t being upheld? What does unjust treatment mean for the people within a community? How can you feel peace if your sense of security is being directly threatened? If there is no justice, then something is seriously wrong and it is a threat to us all—and how can we live in peace knowing that?
Read More »Martin Luther King Jr. Quote on Violence and How To Fight For The Light Without Adding More DarknessJane Addams Quote on True Peace Being About More Than Just The Absence Of War
“True peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice.”
Jane Addams
Beyond the Quote (151/365)
There is a time for words and there is a time for action. As a Martial Arts Instructor, I teach a very clear protocol to my students when it comes to self-defense situations: avoid potentially dangerous situations; be calm and breathe; communicate with confidence; and defend yourself if necessary. And if you find yourself in a situation of self-defense, use the minimum force necessary to deal with the aggressor in such a way that allows you to handle the situation properly and escape safely. I think these personal safety themes can help clear up what’s happening in response to the George Floyd police brutality case on a larger scale.
Read More »Jane Addams Quote on True Peace Being About More Than Just The Absence Of War40 Empowering Quotes on Justice and How Silence Is As Bad As Injustice Itself
Excerpt: These quotes on justice were collected to empower you to take action against injustice anywhere—because silence is as bad as injustice itself.
Read More »40 Empowering Quotes on Justice and How Silence Is As Bad As Injustice Itself
28 Powerful Hero Quotes — For The Everyday Heroes In Your Life and For The Hero Inside You
Excerpt: Not all heroes wear capes. In fact, almost no heroes in the real world wear capes. This list of 28 powerful hero quotes is for them (and you).
Read More »28 Powerful Hero Quotes — For The Everyday Heroes In Your Life and For The Hero Inside You
“you tell me to quiet down cause
my opinions make me less beautiful
but i was not made with a fire in my belly
so i could be put out
i was not made with a lightness on my tongue
so i could be easy to swallow
i was made heavy
half blade and half silk
difficult to forget and not easy
for the mind to follow”
Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey (Page 30)
Every Word You Cannot Say [Book]
**I know you don’t want to talk sometimes. Sometimes because it hurts and sometimes because you’re just not supposed to talk about what you want to talk about. Sometimes it can be hard to say, “this is beautiful,” when no one else can see what you see. Or, “Here, this is where the pain is.” But some part of you knows, the truth about the words you cannot say is that they only hurt until you say them. They only hurt until the person who needs to hear them, hears them. Because we are human, and the closest we’ve ever come to showing each other who we really are, and how we love, is with words. So I’m going to try to say to you here, what I wish you’d say to me too. Please. Listen. We can change things. Here.
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Post(s) Inspired by this Book:
- 12 Empowering Iain Thomas Quotes from Every Word You Cannot Say
- Iain Thomas Quote on What To Do When The World Is Wearing You Down (Beyond the Quote 180/365)
- Iain Thomas Quote on Trying To Use Self-Love In Response To Pain—Not More Pain (Beyond the Quote 23/365)
- Iain Thomas Quote on How The World Becomes Better (Beyond the Quote 5/365)
“When you have something to say, silence is a lie.” ~ Jordan Peterson, via 12 Rules for Life (Page 91)
“Attend carefully to your posture. Quit drooping and hunching around. Speak your mind. Put your desires forward, as if you had a right to them—at least the same right as others. Walk tall and gaze forthrightly ahead. Dare to be dangerous. Encourage the serotonin to flow plentifully through the neural pathways desperate for its calming influence.” ~ Jordan Peterson, via 12 Rules for Life (Page 28)
“That’s the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?”
Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give (Page 252)
“Attempting to destroy something out of hate or ego often ensures that it will be preserved and disseminated forever.” ~ Ryan Holiday, Ego is the Enemy
“It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that doesn’t mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi