I am old enough to remember when a group of people in America was referred to as the silent majority. I think that at this time in the history of America we have a silenced majority. People in this group are intimidated in several ways to the point that they will not talk about or write about their points of view because of the negative consequences which may result.
I think there is a large portion of people in our country who I would describe as very thoughtful, very compassionate, and very loving. Yet, for a variety of reasons, are opposed to gay marriage. Many of them, including myself, find their reasons to oppose this movement in the Bible. They oppose gay marriage because it is a matter of faith. Despite their strong beliefs, they remain silent. They remain silent because they see the stories in the media. A prominent CEO loses his job because of a donation he made to an effort to preserve traditional marriage years ago......an effort which was successful, by the way, until an activist court threw out the law. A football player tweeted a handful of words which were construed as being in opposition to a gay football player being drafted, and he is punished by the league and must complete sensitivity training before he can have his job back. When your job in endangered, you decide to keep your opinions to yourself. For so many people, it just becomes an easier option to remain silent than to risk losing......losing your job, losing your friends, losing your reputation, or losing your credibility. Being branded as a homophobe is just not worth it to most, even if they know in their hearts it is not true.
There are quite a few issues that people avoid talking about because of the risk of being branded as a racist. Being opposed to issues such as extending unemployment benefits, food stamps, or amnesty may get you that brand. Being a proponent of voter ID laws or defending our borders may get you that brand. Even speaking out against our current President is risky. These people know they are not racists, but they keep quiet anyway. They are bullied into silence. What is even more amazing is the treatment that black conservatives receive because of their positions. They may be the most bullied people in America.
The IRS scandal may turn out to be the biggest silencer of all. No one wants to be audited. Yet, when you find out that those who have contributed to conservative causes have a greater chance of being audited, it gives you cause to consider whether it is worth making that donation. One even wonders whether just speaking about being a supporter of the Tea Party might result in some sort of negative consequences. Who wants to make an enemy of the IRS especially now that they are involved in the operation of their healthcare.
I must say that I personally have not suffered much in the way of negative consequences. I do not even get much blowback when I express myself in social media. My left-leaning friends know me, and I think they respect me for who I am and what I've done with my life. However, there have been a few occasions when someone who has no idea who I am has lashed out with vicious responses filled with profanity. I admit that on those occasions, I shut down my comments and become silent myself. It's what we do. People like me do not like conflict. So we are silenced. When that happens, the next step is to feel guilty for giving in. It's tempting to think that the bad guys have won.
Having a blog like this is therapeutic. It gives me an opportunity to blow off some steam. It just remains to be seen if I get punished for it. It's a good thing that I am retired and have no job to lose.
