Out In The Montains : OP/ED - The Price of Silence

Looking back on my grade-school years, I can recall instances in which certain classmates were picked upon by their peers. I now realize how children can be cruel to the point of mentally injuring someone with words alone. Fortunately, we all matured and put this behind us. Periodically, certain images from our school years creep up for a fleeting moment – like in the middle of the night, for instance. The trauma suffered in school was miniscule. It was temporary. We all grew up.

Looking back in history, what first appeared as a grassroots movement in Germany went a little further. A tyrant came to be by spreading what was thought to be important (and truthful) information. A groundswell of support caught on and spread like wild fire on the prairie. Before everyone caught on, it was too late. This evil leader had conveyed (using his freedom of speech) that Jews were not worthy. You know the rest of the story. Other countries realized and reacted late in the game. This too came to pass, but the damage was irreparable. We all grew up.

History has a funny way of repeating itself, or so it seems. Here in Vermont we have a legislator starting a grassroots movement with what she believes to be important (and truthful) information. I wouldn’t say that there is a groundswell of support – yet. However, all the ingredients are there. This legislator is misusing freedom of speech to plant the seeds of hate. I wonder if, this time, it will be temporary.

I also wonder what kind of damage will result. A quote from C.S. Lewis seems apropos here: “Of all the tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their consciences.”

On the other side, a complacent GLBT population is choosing to ride this one out so as not to disturb a person’s right. Yet I am totally confused when this same population gets all stirred up when Fred Phelps visits our state. They want to do everything they can to counter his claims that gays are vile, etc.

Why are we picking on Fred and not this legislator? After all, Fred is here once in a while, whereas this legislator is in our state 24/7. Thus far, Fred has not made a major impact on Vermont. He’s not the one I worry about at this point. I am more worried about someone that does have impact here in Vermont: someone that can affect my quality of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

Yes, we could take away this legislator’s freedom of speech. That, of course, would not remedy the situation. To properly counter and diffuse a forthcoming hailstorm of hate and ignorance, the GLBT community and our friends need to be ever so dedicated to taking a proactive stance. The only cure for ignorance is education. The community needs to aggressively respond to the likes of this legislator as well as anyone else who spreads fear and hatred.

The answer is education. I am reminded of a bumper sticker that says it all: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” If we don’t choose to answer the call of ignorance, then we could be considered one ingredient in the making of this grassroots movement. Is this not what happened in Germany?

We are all at the junction of the road where we have to choose which way to go. In other words, we can determine what our history will be before it has happened – or before it’s too late. It’s time we all grew up.

Jose Perrault was raised and still lives in Newport.