Hate Lives in Silence

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

– Edmund Burke

This is a child and family blog.

I get it.

So far, I’ve been apolitical and non-partisan. Yet, I feel ignoring the vitriolic rhetoric by the leader of our country is irresponsible.

Our children matter too much to be silent.

Silence is action.

It’s a decisive position.

Our silence is actually a mobilization. In this case, it marshals and emboldens violence and hate.

Can we live with that?

Can we sleep at night knowing we’ve helped a racist and American terrorist movement?

I cannot.

Doing nothing is not an option.

We are role models for our children.

What do we want them to know of this time?

What do we want them to remember of our part in the current racial tensions in our country?

Who do we want to be in the eyes of our children?

Let’s be honest.

The racial divide in our country is largely not our fault.

Most of us have open minds and loving hearts. We’ve been born well after slavery, the Civil War and the Jim Crow era. Most of us don’t belong to a hate group or condone violence.

Our daily actions don’t promote racial activities in America.

Yet, what are we doing to combat them?

What actions do we take to alleviate this divide? If you have stories, please share.

For the most of us, however, we most likely live our lives in peace and tranquility inoculated from the maligning utterances, shrugging comments and more violent remarks and physical deeds.

But, inoculation wanes as hate spreads.

At what point does it knock on our door?

2017 has been unkind to any minority in America. The administration and its Department of Justice has actively and directly targeted minority groups through legislation, law enforcement, voter suppression rules, and immigration tactics.

It has incited once fringe groups to hate and violence and proliferates condemnation of those ‘different’ from us.

At what point, is it we who are different? Or a family member? Or friend? Acquaintance? Neighbor? Our child’s teacher?

What defines different?

Our country of origin? Apparently, there’s a statute of limitations on this as most of us are immigrants in this country.

Our religion? Yes, the Jewish faith is being aggressively attacked on an escalating basis.

Our beliefs? Yes, if we believe in same sex marriage or transgender rights.

What about our beliefs about pro-choice or women’s rights?

Or our right to peacefully protest or speak our minds without retribution?

How do we explain it to our children when our neighbor is deported?

Or when another Jewish symbol is demolished?

What do we tell our child when his or her teacher is fired for being gay?

How do we react when state-by-state, women’s rights are being controlled?

Or voter’s rights are being suppressed?

Or the Department of Justice enforces a warrant against DreamHost for user data on those seeking information about peaceful protests against Trump at his inauguration?

All of the above is happening today – right now – in our cities and towns.

How can we turn a blind eye and do nothing?

“Evil happens when good men do nothing.”

I’m not usually an alarmist, but this is evil, I’m a good ‘man’ and I cannot do nothing.

I won’t be able to look my children in the eye if I let this go without rising up, rising over and reaching out to my fellow citizens.

So, here I am giving voice – as a start.

I’m stating loud and clear this is completely unacceptable.

It is untenable.

The President and his followers are complicit in perpetuating hate on our streets and in our backyards.

It must stop.

NOW.

Our children should not inherit a greater divide, more violence and hate within the hearts and minds of their peers.

Speak up.

Stand up.

Rise up.

We are stronger together.