In Reply
Posted by Brad Osborne on May 13, 2021 · 15 Comments
~~~
Often have I failed
To be the person
That I want to be
~~~
I have stayed silent
When I should have spoke
Just watched quietly
~~~
If I will not stand
For what I believe
Fearing the outcome
~~~
Then tenets are lost
Answers don’t come from
Being the problem
~~~
So, measure your words
For if hatred heard
I will disagree
~~~
And in rebuttal
You will feel the sting
A full dose of me
~~~
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commonsensiblyspeaking 
great to hear, it’s certainly a learning curve, and sometimes terribly hard. we’ve been teaching the kinder that if you see or hear something and don’t help or get help or say something about something that doesn’t seem right, you are a part of it too, as a bystander. hopefully it will help to understand this lesson from a young age, rather than us (most of us), coming to it later in life.
It is hard to speak up in the current climate of our society, but there is never a good reason not to. Thanks Beth!
right
“An innocent bystander in today’s world is no longer innocent.” ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy
A perfect quote. Thanks sis! Love you a bushel and a peck!
It’s hard sometimes, I cannot tell you how many times I have been bullied by trying to educate people when they say they don’t understand how their statements are racist. Like you, if I see or hear hate, I can’t hold my tongue. I feel bad for them in a way. I can’t imagine being so uneducated & so closed minded that when someone tries to open my eyes to something, I resort to bullying. Most of the bullying I have received are from women old enough to be my mother. I hadn’t been called ugly since I was a child. It’s sad that some people never leave the playground. I’m proud of you for standing up for what’s right & not what’s popular. It’s a choice, not always an easy one, but a golden one!
Thanks my friend! It is a hard choice these days to speak out, but that makes it all the more necessary. Love you guys!
we’ve been taught that if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say it. I know I’ve bit my lips a few times when a friend or relative says something I find offensive. Sometimes it’s just a matter of a difference of opinion, and it doesn’t seem like it’s worth getting in an argument about it…
I agree, Jim. It is hard to sometimes decide if it is just a difference of opinion or something more. Even then, how do we know what we say will actually do any good? It is a walk on the tightrope at best!
and like walking on eggshells…
Bravo! Very well said my friend! Brilliant!
Thank you my friend!
You’re very welcome my friend!
I think there’s a time to speak up and a time to be silent. Arguing with random people over social media seems like a complete waste of time, and I prefer not to engage in any of that. At the same time, If I saw someone who was being picked on, put down, abused, then I think we are part of the problem when we don’t speak out.
There used to be a show on ABC called “What Would You Do?” that was quite interesting. Did you ever see it, Brad? The gist of the show was it would put regular people as witnesses to bad behavior from people who were acting. It was a test of human nature and people’s willingness to get involved when witnessing bad behavior.
I do remember seeing a few episodes. I assume the line between silence and speaking out is probably different for everybody. And I agree that the anonymous rants on social media serve no purpose. Thanks for being a part of the conversation, Pete. I appreciate you!