One Day Blog Silence Censorship

Have you chosen to observe the blog day of silence today?One Day Blog Silence

Apparently, I haven't. It wasn't necessarily a conscious decision, but I did know about the day of blog silence. Here's more about it:

Silence can say more than a thousand words.
Thisday shall unite us all about this unbelievable painful & shocking event and show some respect and love to those who lost their loved ones.
On April 30th 2007, the Blogosphere will hold a One-Day Blog Silence inhonor of the victims at Virginia Tech. More then 30 died at the US college massacre.
Butit´s not only about them. Many bloggers have responded and asked aboutall the other victims of our world. All the people who die every day. What about them?
This day can be a symbol of support to all the victims of our world!
Allyou have to do is spread the word about it and post the graphic on yourblog on 30th April 2007. No words and no comments. Just respect, reflect and empathy.

But I bet you can pretty much guess that since I'm not "respecting" the day of silence, that I'll have more to say. And I do. I haven't gone in search of others who aren't shutting off, so forgive me if you've heard it all before. Forgive me as well if you don't care a whit about why I wouldn't be silent.

Here's my thing. When it comes to silence, only I get to decide when to observe. When it comes to silence, you do not tell me when it is that I should be respectful. I decide. I decide or we call it something else. We call it censorship. Censorhip of the masses.

Furthermore, unless I regularly fill my writing with hate and bile for "all the victims of our world," then my silence does not support them. My silence does not help them. If my voice is one that regularly supports them, them my silence is a wimpering lack of support.

I would like to thank the folks who came up with this idea, because if nothing else it reminded me that I have regularly been too silent. That I don't necessarily come aboard the interwebs and attempt to pull apart oppression. I don't run through the walls of injustice. I don't fling myself against the moving mouths of idiocy. And I should more regularly do that. Because if I don't do that, then I am being silent, and I am not using the gifts I've been given. I'm not making the world move in a positive direction. I am not connecting. I am not making you a part of my life, and I shouldn't expect you to make me a part of yours.


I'm sorry. I won't make any promises, because promises are too easily broken. But I will tell you that I recognize my failures, that I do try, that I will try, that perhaps tomorrow I will do better. Or perhaps I have already done better today. Not silent at all. Not waiting for the next shooter. Not waiting for anything.

Empathy begins inside you, inside them, inside me. I cannot know empathy alone, and silence is a path of solitude, not community. The community should demand justice, and we cannot do that if we staple our lips to the buttocks of the next influential blogger we meet.

Be influential. Speak up. And don't forget to use your brain before you act.


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