Question

Agreeing with Clint Smith's Ideas

Clint Smith gives a motivational speech in his TED Talk. In his speech, he starts by quoting the phrase of Martin Luther King Junior in 1968; "We will not remember the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends." I believe in this phrase. Silence is our greatest enemy, and we need to counter this significant vice, for it will consume and defeat us without us knowing. The enemy will expose and beat us in darkness since it is an invisible enemy. The speech is focused on the Civil Rights Movements, students, and the general population. The speaker acknowledges that the adverse consequences of silence are shown in the general population through discrimination and violence. I agree with Smith's notifications. Nike is an example of a company where women are harassed (Harvard Business Review, 2018). The media is supposed to inform the society about women's harassment. Working in an organization with a toxic culture will restrict openness (Harvard Business Review, 2018). When the victims of harassment are in silence, the media's existence will be ineffective since these affected women are their primary sources of information. "One reason people do not speak up is the significant risk of doing so" (Harvard Business Review, 2018).

Some of the risks are marginalization or losing a job (Harvard Business Review, 2018). The victims of rape, for instance, fear to be labeled outcasts since some cultures regard them as impure. To escape a perceived adverse outcome, they chose to remain silent for the rest of their lives. There is no need to be quiet. Democratization is all about expression. As mentioned in Clint's speech, the Civil Rights Movement acts as the mouthpiece of victims of discrimination. But before reaching out to the advocates of justice, in case you are discriminated against because of your color or gender, you need to reflect your thoughts. Silence is something that you hold in your chest, and you fear of letting it go. The moment of intimacy will help in understanding what you want in life. Preparation to make a positive impact in society starts by speaking out on discrimination forms. The speaker asserts that people are interested in saying what others want to hear. They hide the truth from them. When they notice something wrong, they chose to remain silent, provided they are not directly affected by the situation. This is a recipe for discrimination. I agree with such assertions, and the said persons accommodate and initiate the bystander effect.

The bystander effect exhibit assumption (Harvard Business Review, 2018). The speaker told himself that he was not anyone's conscious because he needed to figure out his own. This is an assumption, and he tries to cushion this by reflecting on the proposed suggestions to his students. He advises his children to first understand themselves by forming a personal bond with God. I agree that prayer is a powerful tool and is the source of motivation. In prayer, at least you will know that there is someone who will listen and get you out of the problem. Prayers need to be supplemented with prayers. I have come across the phrase, "God helps those themselves and love your neighbor as you love yourself." So, whenever you observe that another person is in trouble, please do not assume that she is in a position to solve the problem. Freedom of speech and expression guides an ordinary citizen. Whenever victimized, consider helping yourself by speaking out. Can anyone tell me in this what is this and what points I should take to make a summary of this paper? please help me.

Answer 1

• In this paragraph, the author is describing the notion of silence in society and its negative effects in our lives. People choose to remain silent, as they weigh danger of expression and self safety more than helping the other. By this, we as a society is placing power on accused of emerging as a winner, and strengthening the belief that he/she can control the system, without realizing our own potential to bring the change.

• Our society, parents or community, is indirectly fostering the habit of silence and selfishness i.e. “not getting involved in others matters”. Thus it eventually develops the habit of putting curtains at your window, when you hear an assault taking place in your neighboring house, and consciously preparing yourself what to do, like going to sleep (probably ignoring) or turning up the volume of TV, but unknowingly, the need to confront is suppressed in our unconscious mind along, with the feelings of guilt, worthlessness, shame, and regret. The author also links the bystander effect, with this notion of silence.

• For example, the case of Ilan Halimi, a French Jew, who got abducted in Paris by Moroccans. He was placed in the kidnapper’s house for many days, but no neighbor dared to call police, even though they heard the noise.

• Silence depicts the weakness in our solidarity, by enhancing the violence. Silence is meant to heal inner conflict and disturbances not external world’s disturbances. Thus, it is sign of strength when facing an internal adversity, but a sign of weakness, when confronting injustice, which could lead to an adversity.

• In the end, the speaker emphasizes the true meaning and applicability of freedom of speech and unfollowing the selfishness for making others life better.