Echoes in the Well of Silence

 

Echos in the Well of Silence

 

There’s a lot going on in our society today.  For some people, it’s a bit overwhelming and quite alarming.  If you watch any sort of news, you will hear the fearmongering happening every day, and everywhere.  For the first time in a long time, I’m smiling. There’s an awakening happening, but let’s not get that confused with the current classification of “woke.” In the words of Tom MacDonald, there’s a lot of “Fake Woke” ideology in our society and it’s hurting everyday people. 

We, as a majority in American culture, over the past several years, have been locked down, cancelled, infringed, persecuted, fired, dis-enfranchised, received strikes, bans, cancellations and silenced on social media, in all major media platforms, in our schools, our government, our jobs, and even down at the community volunteer center.

I’m an Independent.  I believe in social freedoms, but I also believe in personal responsibility.  I believe in God. I believe in family. I believe in loving one another. I believe in helping my neighbor.  But, most of all I believe in freedom to stand up for or against the things that I believe hurt or harm my planet, my country, my neighborhood, my family, or myself. I’m neither right nor left, conservative nor progressive, Republican nor Democrat.  And all this division needs to stop.

I smile every time I see someone standing up to the ‘system’ that has been crushing our communities, our families, our country, our government, and our citizens. Big Medicine, Big Corp, Big Tech, Big Government.  Our economy is hurting everyone, from the largest corporations to the smallest mom & pop shop around the corner.  Families are struggling to put food on the table, pay their rent or mortgage, keep jobs at companies that are facing supply-chain issues, put gas in vehicles so they can get to or preform the jobs that pay their bills and supports their families, keep the lights on, the internet going, feed the livestock or farmer’s fields that fills the grocery stores.  We have issues with drugs, crime, homelessness, But I rarely see – balanced solutions.

I love my planet, and I want to do everything I reasonably can to protect the environment, the animals and people who live on this planet now, and for the generations to come.  However, having witnessed how much our innovation and technology has evolved just over the past century, I have full confidence we are going to figure out how we can save them all. I believe that with all assurance.  I have faith in the minds of humanity that we will, “figure it out!”  But I will never support the current suffrage of humanity or creatures in actions purported and supported by fear.  I will not throw money at unreasonable solutions that cause more harm than good – due to emotional fear of “if we don’t’ do this NOW – we won’t be around in 1000 years.  Sorry, but while we can take a ‘step’ in the right direction to correct or move toward more viable solutions, we don’t pull the support out of the current system that supports the citizens of this country today. So, when you tell me I must sacrifice my livelihood, the ability to take care of my family for a program that ‘may’ improve our world or society in 1000 years – I want to scream, “Where is your faith, O’ hypocrite?”  As Ben Shapiro once said, “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”

 I love my fellow human beings.  I don’t care if your gay or straight, black or white, young or old, male or female, smart or creative, musical or analytical, Christian or Jew, Atheist or humanist, native or immigrant, or if you decide to be a rainbow unicorn on Tuesdays.  We all have our differences, and as American Citizens, we have the Constitutional inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  That doesn’t mean we have the right to force someone else to adhere to our choices or beliefs. We are a Democratic Republic – where “We the People” have fought for and voted for the laws that govern our citizens.  Some laws change as society changes, but not the indelible rights.  We are a culture that is a melting pot from all walks of humanity.  That is something of which to be proud.  With it comes its own set of issues – because we all have differences. 

It breaks my heart when I see people being silenced if their ‘opinion” doesn’t match with the popular status quo.  The exchange of different idea, different views, different perspectives is what makes us strong. Again, to paraphrase Tom MacDonald, “There’s a difference between hate speech and speech that you hate.”  Silencing opposition is ONLY about control – not the free exchange of ideas.  It’s cowardly to try and silence opposition, to suppress facts that empowers our citizens. I’ve been there – done that – and all it caused was hate and division.  I’m not afraid of opinions that differ from my own, because I’ve matured enough as a person to be confident that opposing opinions don’t frighten me. 

Watching the floor of the House recently debate one another when they didn’t agree – I find completely refreshing.  If there’s no debate, then there’s no exchange of ideas, and we are all sheep.  We, as a society, have been beat into submission for so long, I’ve often wondered, where are the Patrick Henry’s of our time, who will stand up and proclaim against the system, “Give me Liberty of give me death?” Where are the Reagan’s who are bold enough of to proclaim, “Tear down this wall!” We silence them, deplatformed and banned them on all social media.  We cry out for the rights of our criminals and forget about the suffering of the victims.  We are quick to call people names, judge them, demand their jobs, their careers, or put them in boxes if they don’t follow the popular quo, post the popular memes, become a part of the most recent popular movements.

There’s a lot of yelling and gnashing of teeth in our society – but we all are suffering beneath the Sound of Silence.  Simon and Garfunkel warned us – yet we have not heard the writing of the Prophets on the subway walls or tenement halls.  We witness the suffering every day– yet we bite down on our lips and grit our teeth.

But, today I smile – because I’m hearing the soft echoes of a few voices in the wilderness.  “Independent” artists, content creators, social media influencers, pod casters, small business owners, innovators and everyday people who do not choose the easy path, who do not live to earn money, understand who they are and what they believe, but most of all …follow a mission.  Money is important – you will starve without it.  But the purpose behind what we do is more important than how much money we can make doing it. Do not put your talent into the ground, so that you show your master you can save what he gave you.  Invest your talent, your heart, and your vision into a mission – whether you succeed or fail to make ‘money’, you will have already won and you will have peace. There will be hard days – many of them, I’m sure.  But, even in the hardest day – purpose and mission will drive us, inspire us, and gives us the strength to keep going.

The journey is what gives our life purpose – not the things that will one day turn to rust and dust.    I understand the fight Steven Crowder is fighting – and if you think it’s about money – you haven’t read the Prophet’s warnings on the subway walls. I understand Tom MacDonald and his fight against the system to stay Independent.  If you think his journey is about money and not the mission – you haven’t read the Prophet’s warnings on the tenement halls.  You’re still in the dark, talking without speaking, hearing without listening, writing songs that voices never share, and you do not dare to disturb the sound of Silence. Will these words, like silent raindrop fall and echo in the wells of Silence? I really hope not.

 

Til next time,

~T.L. Gray

#SoundofSilence #Simon&Garfunkle #StevenCrowder #TomMacDonald #PatrickHenry #RonaldReagan #Independent #SocialIssues