I remember thinking to myself last month that things couldn’t get worse. Well, guess what! Not only did it get worse, there’s no clear out yet.
The world has gone from dealing with just the pandemic to discussing, actively protesting, police brutality, racial injustices and even dismantling statues to support the movement. A lot of people have cancelled 2020 talmabout “I’m not adding 2020 to my age.” Just because it’s a leap year doesn’t mean you can leap over it, durrh, but on a serious note 2020 has been a lot.
Don’t get me started on local news, a freshman, Uwavera was raped and murdered in the church where she went to read. A young girl Tina, died from the bullet fired from a careless trigger-happy policeman’s gun, several child rape cases and deaths like that of Tina were reported.
The public outcry has been unparalleled. Important conversations are being held around the world, on social media, radio stations, podcasts, tv shows, no medium has been spared. This too has been backed up with actions. Many are ready to die for the cause they believe in and many have literally died over this short period because of their beliefs.
Opinions abound aplenty; strong, weak, illogical, eureka moment types and except you’re living under a rock you’d be confronted with all these versions.
What do you do?
Depending on if you’re a victim, possible victim or a perpetrator the answer might be different.
For many the answer to this is to be silent, latching on to excuses like “it doesn’t affect me or mine” to explain their position. And there’s no crime in that. It’s their right and if you’re such a person, its your right.
I however believe you must speak up! No one can force you to take a stand but if you back off and play along, whatever happens happened at least in part, because you acquiesced.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in times of comfort and convenience but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. ~Martin Luther King
We fight not because it’s easy or we love being disruptive but because the power to choose a better history lies in our hands.
We fight because it might not be us today, but we know life is a circle.
We fight to encourage others to speak their truth.
You should fight too, because if you do not speak when it matters, when would it matter that you speak? Don’t be silent, learn if you need to but speak, stand and show up for something.
Musings of Chiarmi 
Growing up, many of us have been led to believe that staying silent and obedient always is the right way to behave.
I beg to differ. We should always speak up in the face of oppression. Our voices are powerful – we should use them more often!
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