After a long hiatus from blogging, I have returned. Much has been on my mind lately. A combination of events and some reading I
have been doing has challenged me to rethink the power of a voice.
I am now in my sixth year of college (4 years of undergrad +
1 year of grad school under my belt). I
have seen much and learned a lot. Recently,
I was talking to a company here in Raleigh requesting assistance with a
lease. Upon placing my request, I was
treated very negatively and they told me that they would do nothing to address the
issue. Talk about southern hospitality, huh? Later, they called to once again clarify
their position and restate that they would not help me with a simple
matter. After enduring a long rant, I
had to make a decision. I could either shake
my head and let them go on with their story or I could say something. While I try not to be a confrontational
person, I realized that if I was being treated in this way, so were others. They needed a customer service checkup and I
volunteered to give it to them. As I
explained my position and the necessity of my request, I began to get real
results. I explained my dissatisfaction
with their assistance and lack of good customer service. The whole situation seemed to turn around as
the person I was speaking with heard feedback from me. The last several weeks, I have received
e-mail and they have begun to find a real solution for my request. Had I not spoken up and voiced my concerns, I
probably wouldn't have found the positive ending that I had set out for from
the beginning.
There are over 7 billion people on Earth. 7 billion unique people with diverse opinions. Many times, groups of people share
commonalities in beliefs and values such as in America where most people value
freedom and the American Dream. When we
refuse to speak up and be heard, we indirectly tell ourselves that our beliefs
and values are not important. As in the situation
mentioned above, not voicing your opinion allows others to stamp out your
views, overtake society with their wishes, and build an organization or society
that may not represent the views of you or even the majority (check out
WWII/Germany in your history book).
While in college, I have faced many situations that model this exact predicament. From gay rights debates to animal rights demonstrations
on campus, the shouts of people that represent certain views often drowned out
the voices of others with common or different views. Regular students often said nothing for fear
of be chastised by various groups or constituencies.
I recently read Dr. Ben Carson’s new book entitled One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save
America’s Future. In this book, he
emphasizes the negative repercussions that result from political correctness
and how it can stifle creativity and honest debate in the public square. Simply because someone possesses views that
differ from the people that have the air horn and shout the loudest, doesn't
mean that they should be dismissed as eccentric or unknowledgeable. America was founded upon a principle of
honest debate between citizens that are knowledgeable and guided by morals. When a majority of citizens are no longer
knowledgeable and refuse to put a voice to their morals, they open up society
to transformation by those who do voice their opinions which may or may not be
representative of the whole.
Apathy is a terrible disease that has swept many households
in our nation. I understand that people
are frustrated with their communities and governments, but I still go to the
ballot box each year with confidence that my opinion matters. I honor those that wholeheartedly serve in
local government and join non-profits to address needs in our communities. When we serve others and engage in debate, we
ensure that our communities and country become places where we want to live and
work. I love the imagery of a mosquito
in the dark. Many famous speakers have
shared this quote: “If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never
been in bed with a mosquito”. Be the
mosquito. Use your voice to make your opinion known. Stand up for what you believe and I will see
you on the highway to success!
Check out this video of Dr. Ben Carson at the National Prayer Breakfast. Whether you agree with his views or not, he voices his opinion and stands up for his beliefs. We need more people to do this in our society. Maybe then we'll have honest debate once again.
