Standing for Truth

I saw this on a Facebook post. I am sorry to not have noted the author.

When I was in the seventh grade, our teacher put on a video and told us to take notes. Ten minutes in, she threw the lights on and shouted at Steven Webb Sladki, telling him he wasn’t taking notes and he should have been. But the thing was, Steve was taking notes. I saw it. We all saw it. The teacher asked if anyone wanted to stand up for Steve. A few of us choked out some words of defense but were immediately squashed. Quickly, we were all very silent. Steve was sent to the principal’s office. The teacher came back in the room and said something like “See how easy that was?” We were reading Anne Frank. I started to understand. I thought now was a good time to share this story. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that what you see with your own eyes is not happening.

A very interesting story…one that may cause you to pause for just a minute. Here is my take. It is a personal story of our own ambivalence, indifference, laziness and apathy. It is the story of how we can be aware of an injustice and choose to say or do nothing. I am suggesting it is our lack of consciousness that prevents us from simply standing firm for truth.

To stand firm for truth means you have to know what that is for you. You have to have some idea of what you believe in, what is true…for what you are willing to take a stand. Do you even know what that is? Do you know what you stand for…what is important enough that you would actually defend…as in act or speak to support?  Or are you so busy in your own ‘blinders on’ life?

This story calls me and you to do a little self assessment…and to answer the question…what do I stand for, what is my truth? Because hear this…it matters what you believe to be true and it matters to the rest of us that you are brave enough to stand up for it.

And to me it matters that you stand with courage, kindness and humility.

Much love always
Paula