“ White silence is violence “ What do you think of this quote?

Question

This evening as I watch the Protest in D. C. in front of the White House, I notice this sign one of the protestors is carrying. I am interested to know your thoughts.  I am Not simply asking if you like it or don’t like it- Though I do want to know that of course.  I also wish to know what you think it means to the carrier - I e What do you think the intended message is.  I also wish to know what it means to you.  I will leave my thoughts out for now, as to not influence anything 😊 P. S. The protestors are demonstrating very peacefully 🌟🌟🌟  Thank You 🌺

websterII · Accepted Answer

I tihnk what it means is if our govt.. our protector the guardian of our civilizaiont stands silent and does nothing while people are getting murdered.. then there is a problem. the govt is not doing it's job.. indeed the govt might be the problem. Whent he people are outraged.. the politiicains should be shaking in fear.. not laughing at us.. and going back to working for their sponsors or next fundraising event. we have certian expecations from our govt.. it shoudl represent us.. it should hear our concerns else who are they working for? for god sake we pay their salarys even if it's just a pittance compaired to what goldman sachs pays them (clinton got 1.5 years worth of president salary for 2x 20 min speeches to goldman sachs) (who do YOU think SHE worked for?) clintons public salary wasn't even pocket change next to that kind of reward system. so i'm not surprised that the clintons amassed over 2 billion while in office.. they worked for a lot of people and govts.. they didn't have time to work for the American people.. the pay was too low. so silence is violence.. or it will be soon. govt silence also condoned the murder.. contineu busines as usual.. unacceptable.. murder of us citizens by police is unacceptable.

Lliam · Accepted Answer

I fully support equal right and equal justice. Racism and police violence pisses me off. I do speak out against it.
But I have to say that I distance myself from white, latte liberals who are never happy unless they are virtue signaling some righteous cause. Plus, they love to act sanctimonious and point fingers at others.

I have generally leftist values. I attend a liberal, non-denomonational Unitarian Universalist congregation (less and less these days), but I have less and less in common with those TV watching, Democrat supporting liberals every day.

Regarding Black Lives Matter and other causes, I'd rather spend my energy striking at the root of all our problems than trying to prune a few twigs off the bush. Our whole system is f'd up and things like racism and police violence are just symptoms of the disease.

razelove · Answer

They're paraphrasing Dr. King, "History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."

Violence is violence. It is what it is, and sometimes a good thing. If not for the violence of World War II and the realization that we all bleed and die equally, even in segregated units, also welcomed very happily as liberators in Europe black or white, then it may have been decades more before the civil rights movement took off.

I can't imagine anything as harrowing as carrying a rifle, shooting nazis, or supporting troops who were, screwing happy french women, and then going back to 1950's america with the prospects of a poor black man.

Food for thought.

OlderAndWiser · Answer

I think it is a blatant effort to make those on the fence join the protest or face a guilt trip. Obviously, the statement is false. Silence is not violence. If I don't actively express support for the Me Too movement, does that mean that I am a rapist?

RolandCuthbert · Answer

What I don't understand is that both liberal and conservatives seem to miss this point.

BLM does not need "White" people to join the group and march. They need "White" people to form their own group and fight for justice for Daniel Shaver's widow. For Justine Damon, for James King, for Zachary Hammond!

We need for "White" people to bring these stories to the conversation. These people need justice! If we can just get the message across that this is a police state where the police have very little accountability. We can get some reforms.

But right now, there are two insane arguments. That "White" people have to be vocal about BLM. And that saying the police have a problem somehow is insulting of the mythical "White" race.

The conversation is nonsensical.

Everybody needs to wake up. Latinos, American Indians, and "Whites" all get mistreated by the police. And together, we can get the reforms we need, create less stressful environments for officers and get better results.

_SOARER · Answer

I disagree. White people have been told that the only opinion they can have must align with the protests. When white voices say something in contrast to it, they are targeted and shamed.
The real problem is black criminality, the one element in all this that people refuse to acknowledge.
If you google "FBI Crime Statistics Table 43" it demonstrates the disproportionate rate at which black people commit violent crime. More violent crimes= more police encounters. Because of the higher rate of police encounters both police officers and the subjects are statistically bound to have more failed arrests/abuse of power.
If black people committed crime at lower rates, they would interact with police less and their communities would be safer.
The only thing white people have been silent on is, Black on white crime in the united states. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics' survey "National Crime and Victimization" there were a total of 547,948 cases of black on white violence in 2018(Table 14). In comparison White people only committed 59,778 crimes against black people.(Table 14)
White people will remain silent on the issue of black on white violence in the USA.

ZackBan · Answer

I think not wanting to choke on tear gas is not something you can hold agaisnt someone.

Racism is violence sure but being impartial or at least supportive just without demonstrating is not a crime.
What about those who are unfit to walk in the protests because of health issues are they really the big bad wolf here.
There's a saying "your freedom ends when someone where begins" basically you're free to do and say what you want but you're not free in forcing other people or even pressuring them to follow you.

Anonymous · Answer

I think I understand the message behind the phrase. This is a time in which, if we truly want change, everybody needs to be using their voice, otherwise you're basically choosing the side of the oppressor.
However, I'm going to have to disagree on this one. Just because someone isn't advertising that they support the cause, doesn't mean they don't support the cause.
Of course it's important to speak up, especially if it's happening right in front of you... if you see something, say something. But people can also vote, donate, sign petitions, etc. to have their voices heard.
I've being seeing this said mainly to call out people who haven't said anything on social media and I personally don't feel that there is a need to post something to try and prove that you're a good person.

Grond21 · Answer

I think this is wrong and dangerous. If speech is ever classified as violence, or it's lack as violence, then suddenly free speech as an idea vanishes. Because then speech needs to be regulated just like violent actions are regulated. And when speech is regulated, people's thoughts are regulated. It's a direct route to authoritarianism.

I understand the idea. They're trying to say that if white people are not standing up in support of black people then they are tacitly supporting white supremacists. But this is hypocritical, despite its good intentions. Because it is setting themselves up as the arbiters of what is right and true. They believe that they are in the right, and they are saying that if someone does not agree with them then they are committing violence. That they are acting equally. And that is a judgment of someone, purely based off of their skin color. In other words, racism

Prof_Don · Answer

Yes, “white silence is violence”.

Choosing to abstain from conversation about justice for a completely unnecessary killing of an American citizen by law enforcement...
...
... is the very example of white privilege.

I’m not expecting every white American to go out and protest in the streets,

but to at least acknowledge the death of Michael Floyd by a cop placing his knee on his neck and suffocating him with other cops onlooking...
...
... was unjust, unnecessary, and those cops should be punished by the full extent of the law.

Any (white) American uncomfortable with openly expressing that belief, is racist. Period.

0112358 · Answer

There’s some truth to it. of course I suspect a lot of well meaning white people are also hearing people say they should stand back and let black people be heard.

It’s also a bit of a an emotionally loaded time to actually have deep constructive conversations.

i enjoyed your small font footnote. As you may of course be aware the ruling oligarchs are very comfortable with the status quo with billionaires being a representative sample of various oppressed communities. That’s not deep change.

BCA6010 · Answer

It's an idiotic statement, to say the least.

It's pretty clearly a racially-charged attempt to make (white) people who don't bend the knee and virtue signal on behalf of groups like BLM feel guilty. It's a somewhat oblique way of saying "you're either with us or you're against us."

If these people are serious about reforming the values of a country, this strategy of racism against the majority demographic is going to do more harm than good.

Anonymous · Answer

I prefer to avoid being dragged in conflicts that don't include me.
Police violence is an issue but making a specific racial oriented subject and exclusion of other races is stupidest thing that controlled sheep like BLM have do. If you want appear united against the state don't claim to be "the only one" oppressed group, because you're playing the ball in hands of those who want to isolate you from others.

Kurαȷ · Answer

Same thing as saying that all Black people are criminals, because they aren't dealing with and speaking against all the Black criminals that are ravaging their country.

Both beliefs are, obviously, productions of an ignorant and racist mind.

People are fully self-deterministic, everyone with a healthy mind has their own personal responsibility and they can't, in any way shape or form, be blamed for actions of other people.

Girther10 · Answer

P. s.- the protestors are NOT peacefully protesting. What planet are you from? Who says white people are silent? You? Lol you are not the foremost authority on anything. No one is “abstaining from conversation “ about this or anything else you conjure up in your tiny little mind. There is no such thing as “white silence”, everyone knows that except you, apparently. Stop trying to stir the pot you worthless so and so. Your last sentence seems to be stolen from a five year old.

ShortCircuit · Answer

I disagree. Inaction is not violence. In some cases, inaction is immoral, but even in such cases it is not the same as violence, it is its own thing. Likewise, you could make the argument that it's immoral for a white person to not have an opinion on or be opposed to the ongoing protests, but it is in no circumstances tantamount to violence.

SpiritBear · Answer

I don't believe that quote. Not everyone wants to participate in riots and protests, and those who are still conflicted won't take to an extreme or not. And some people just want to remain neutral to not further divide their friend group and family.

MissDawn7961 · Answer

I am white and as an American , I have the right to not get involved in stupid things like - politics , rioting and the like ! thanks

sawno · Answer

Blatently racist to use as an excuse to attack whites that do not support your racial supremacy movement. Don't fall for propeganda like this. This is trying to make it about white vs black instead of people vs government.

RationalMale · Answer

According to FBI stats from the Obama years and the Trump years, the black on White murder rate is literally over twice the White on black murder rate.

If silence is violence then blacks need to start holding their communities accountable.

007kingifrit · Answer

i don't owe anyone speech and i am not obliged to involve myself

these are also the same people that say "speech is violence"

so if you talk you are violent and if you are silent you are violent. how about we stop making up stupid fake definitions of the word violence?

Anonymous · Answer

I disagree. There are so many injustices in the world. How could you possibly speak out against all of them? For example, men get more prison time for committing the same crime as women. That is obviously an injustice. Have you ever spoken out against that?

“ White silence is violence “ What do you think of this quote?

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