Is Silence Complicity?

The discussion yesterday got me to thinking about something. QT made a statement that kept me in thought most of the day. She said: [...]You say actions speak louder than words. Well, what is interesting about this comment is that the words of others can sometimes paint you with the same brush simply because you are an acquaintance of that person. I am a firm believer in free speech. I don't believe it is MY job to police what others say.[...]

I fundamentally agree with this. Completely. I believe we are all responsible for our own actions and our own words. No one else is accountable for what we say or do. We are. Alone.

Taking this completely out of the realm of what we were discussing yesterday, I thought of two events that have taken place in my life during the past week.

The first event was on the phone. I was having a long conversation with someone I don't talk to often. She kept using racial slurs. I asked her politely to stop.. the first time. The second time I told her that there is no room in my life for such talk and that if she didn't stop, I would end the call.

The second event was perhaps a week ago - or so. I sat in a group of people who put down another group of their same ethnicity but different nationality. It would be comparable to Irish-Americans putting down German-Americans. In that case, I did nothing and said nothing.

So much of this stuff is situational and I recognize that. What I'm interested in exploring is the notion of complicity. Because I sat there in the group and said nothing, does that make me complicit in prejudice? Because I said something during the privacy of my phone conversation at home, does that make me less complicit?

Coming from the basic position that I am not responsible for anyone else's words or actions other than my own, at what point did or do I have a duty to say something? Or do I have that responsibility at all? I know I'm not a racist. I know I don't use racial slurs. Does it stop there?

And is it right for others to assume that I feel similarly, just because I sat there in that group meeting or because I didn't immediately hang up on the person I was talking with at home?

It's an interesting dilemma. What would you do in similar circumstances? What are your thoughts?


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Tomorrow (Friday), I have a celebration at the wat and then another long meeting afterward. It's going to be really hot that day and I wish it could be another time. Ever since I had shingles, my heat tolerance is zero to nil. Still, I have to be there. That means I won't be here. So.. I'll see you all Saturday or Sunday. Put out a positive thought for us that it won't be another Showdown at the OK Corral and that it will run smoothly, that we can resolve all these "issues".

See you then!

Oh.. one more thing: I will be having a guest poster here soon. Stay tuned!

Have a good couple of days. Feel free to chew the fat with each other in the comments section if you like. :)

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One more thing. I am cleaning up my blog roll. I've gotten rather lazy about it since Google Reader came about. I am removing the folks who no longer come around - or those I no longer read - and those who haven't posted in eons. If you'd like to check it out, make sure you are on it if you want to be - or you would like me to add you, please go here and leave a comment. Thanks. :)
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