Silence is the Enemy

When you see something that outrages you, do you simply accept it, or do you speak out? One problem is that there are so many outrages in the world today it’s hard to know which ones to rage against.

So let me suggest this one: mass rapings of girls across the globe.

Blunt? Yes. But this is truly horrifying, and bluntness makes the point. And the problem here is lack of awareness; did you know that in war-ravaged places like Liberia, Sudan, and the Congo, mass rape of little girls is common. Learn about it in this disturbing NYT article, if you can stomach it. Reading that made my heart ache.

But that article must have been far more difficult for my Discover Magazine fellow blogger Sheril Kirshenbaum. She bravely describes her own near-rape experience, and has decided to take action, creating Silence is the Enemy, an effort to raise awareness about this appalling situation. She and other bloggers are also raising money for Doctors without Borders so that they can help take care of the victims.

Hmm. I almost wrote, “… to take care of the victims of this unspeakable act.” But that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Let’s make this not unspeakable.

Go read what Sheril has to say. Consider donating money, and if you have a blog (or a Facebook page, or a Twitter account), spread the word. Link back to her page and help to get more and more people aware of this.

Silence is the enemy. If we don’t speak out, then no action will ever take place. The first step in any solution is to do something.

Do something.

[Update: a Facebook group has been created for this.]