When silence is cowardice, simply telling the truth is not a call to violence. It never has been

(Sierra Club) – When the stakes are high … when there is a real threat … should staying silent even be an option? Martin Luther King Jr. had a lot to say on the subject of silence. He said, “There comes a time when silence is betrayal,” and, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” He spoke of how, in the struggles for freedom and justice, what we will ultimately remember is “the silence of our friends.” Related Stories So are we to be friends to the vast numbers of Americans whose fundamental rights and livelihoods are on the line at a pivotal time for our nation? Are we to be friends to the communities that we know will be targeted, marginalized, and denied America’s promise of opportunity? Are we to be friends to the planet itself, and the life it supports from the bounty of nature to the entire human race? Many people would say that when faced with the choice to speak up – to sound the alarm – or to remain silent, that choosing silence is not simply cowardly, it is immoral. I am one of them. The greatest movements...