We cannot rely upon the silenced to tell us they are suffering. - Hanan Ashrawi
From 1991 to 1993 Ashrawi served as the official spokesperson of the Palestinian Delegation to the Middle East peace process and a member of the Leadership/Guidance Committee and executive committee of the delegation.
Speaking Out Is Dangerous
Speaking for those who have no voice comes with risk. Any one of us who is willing to speak up and raise questions, faces threats. It doesn't matter the cause. Many have paid with their lives including:
Martin Luther King, Jr
Medgar Evers, murdered by a white supremacist in the driveway outside his home in Jackson, Mississippi.
Robert F Kennedy
Anna Politkovskaya, a Novaya Gazeta journalist who reported on human rights abuses, was killed outside her flat in Moscow after returning home from the supermarket.
UNESCO's data shows that there are no safe spaces for journalists. 91 of the 117 journalists killed in 2020-2021 were killed while away from their offices. Most killings occurred outside their newsrooms. Some journalists were murdered in the street or in their vehicles, and some were kidnapped to then be found dead. Several were killed in front of family members, including their children.
Laura Ann Carleton, the shop owner in Arrowhead, California, shot and killed for her gay pride display in front of her store.
Whole groups of people are made to disappear for their seeming threat to those in power. Amnesty International defines it this way:
Victims of enforced disappearance are people who have literally disappeared, from their loved ones and their community. They go missing when state officials (or someone acting with state consent) grabs them from the street or from their homes and then deny it, or they refuse to say where they are.
Toxic Speech
We are living in hyper-toxic times. Social media accelerates the vitriol to dizzying speeds. On-line hate, including threats, travel at the speed of light.
What can be done? Psychology Today came up with these five tips:
1. Never perpetuate hate or misinformation. Don’t forward, like, or retweet distasteful comments or images. 2. Report and flag abusive, mean, hateful content to the social platform. 3. Reach out to someone that is struggling. Private message them, even if it’s only a virtual hug. Let them know you are there for them. 4. Kindness is contagious. Talk about it with your kids. Read headlines of people doing good things for other people—then get involved. 5. Lead by example not only for your children, but for your colleagues, friends, and family. Always remember, your online behavior is a reflection of your offline character.
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