Silence...A Good & A Bad Thing

Martin Niemoller once said,"In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up". In Niemoller's case, silence destroyed him. Because he stayed in the shadows while others died, he wasted away until his time came. By the time the silent one was picked off, everyone else was already gone. Silence did not save him; rather it conquered him. For others silence can be a weapon used for good. Confucius wrote that "silence is the true friend that never betrays". He is correct, but so is Niemoller. Depending on the situation, silence can be good or bad-sometimes both. Walking into class on the first day of school, kids are used to a nice welcome and noise; however, walking into sociology was a different experience. Change may be natural, but it is also frightening. We did not know how to deal with an extreme change, so the silence became awkward. Words can become awkward too. How things like silence and noise are perceived are all a matter of contention. Perception is a gray area and sometimes silence can be welcoming.