Creating A Culture Where People Aren't Afraid To Speak Up

After a few weeks of being away from the mass media and consumed with other personal things I returned to reality, only to find the media clutter with more shootings, a horrific midnight theater massacre and the demise of a storied football and academic program. Even the Jackson Family feud got me thinking about something the president of the NCAA said as he announced the sanctions against Penn State, "We need to create a culture where people aren't afraid to speak up."



Those words couldn't hold more weight. We live in a world where the status quo is acceptable and/or seldom challenged; where we see wrong being done on a regular basis and stand silent and in other instances remain voiceless because we’re are forced to be silent for survival sake. I too may be guilt of being afraid to speak up because the culture in which I live or work isn't always conducive to voicing my opinion or even stating the obvious. At times it is hard to state the facts. As a communications professor, I know firsthand that it is the appropriate mix of verbal’s, non-verbal cues, empathy, correct information and the right constructs that make delivering information to others worthy. However, as I look deeper into what one really means when they say creating a culture where people aren't afraid to speak up, what is being suggested is that there is a level of accountability, respect and concern for self and others that motivates each of us to speak up when the situation calls for us to.


We can't continue to notice signs and ignore them. We can't sweep unethical behavior under the rug because of the individual who may be committing the unethical act. We can’t allow those around us whom we claim to love make reckless decisions without offering compassionate and constructive criticism of their actions.  It is heart wrenching to see so many young men hurt by one trusting coach; devastating to see an entire national perplexed by the deadly actions of one loner; painful to see three children thrust into the limelight at the center of a family feud; hurtful to see lives lost each day in urban cities where no one is willing to speak up; horrible to see unethical hiring practices and misuse of funds in school systems (right here in my own state of Delaware)…the list goes on. In many if not all of these examples there is someone who is turning a blind eye to what is going on, which increases the chances of more people being hurt. 



We shouldn’t think of ourselves as rats, feminists, activists or vigilantes if we speak up to right the wrong.  When we speak up against things that are immoral or unethical, we are doing what is biblical right and we are showing others true character and the strength of our faith and respect for mankind.



Let’s us all do our part to create a culture where we can have our voices heard.