The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

When is it appropriate to speak up against things that are unquestionably wrong?

Often times we find ourselves prisoners of our own conscience, but simultaneously prisoners of societal pressures or governmental pressures that preclude our ability to openly and freely express how we feel and stand up for issues that require outward vocal support.

To quote the tag phrase from The Midas Touch on YouTube, I am unapologetically pro-democracy.

Feeling this degree of certainty, and having a greater understanding of many of the variables than those who would vocally or governmentally challenge my perspective, I am compelled to regularly speak my mind with complete expectation that I will not be pleasing all parties who come in contact with that which I am sharing.

At a certain point in time, we find ourselves at a crossroads between doing what is morally correct, versus going with the flow and diminishing any potential controversy surrounding us, or that of which we speak.

The world is once again going into a catharsis in which the overall problems that face the majority of us cause us to readily assume that various pieces of information must be true in order for us to try and make sense out of an extremely complicated scenario.

That said, as best as we might try to delineate the variables as they present themselves, we are often times deluded, or confused by components of that information which are being upheld by a majority of people with whom we do not share common perspective.

At that point in time, we are caught between the circumstances of our current situation, versus our moral code, which points readily in an opposing direction from that which the majority is working to uphold and enforce.

The cowardly silence of those who see the truth, empower those who are imparting their immoral will upon society, to get a free pass to continue to leverage their continuous dominance, until such time as the levee breaks, and the world is overcome with their negative values.

When honest people are willing to bite their tongues and remain silent, the world continues to slip ever further into darkness, but if enough of the right people are determinedly working to thwart those evil intentions, a higher code of morality has the opportunity to prevail.

2024 is perhaps the most important moment in American history.

In this year we are witnessing the clash between two value systems, which are working to either uphold or completely annihilate our democratic process.

Maintaining your vigilance and speaking out against the tyranny could not be more important.

Happy Martin Luther King day!