Silence doesn’t work! Speak up and out!

 The Badlands National Park joined the #resistance after our new commander and chief forbad any ‘talk’, aka social media gag order, about the environment that might include alternative facts. The tweet that saw their twitter account go from 7,000 to over 180,000 followers in hours was because of their boldness to talk about hideous sinister things like Carbon Footprint and Ocean Acidification. These clearly have brought an imminent threat to our society or at least to our new President’s ego.

The clear question that pushes many to join the #resistance is why be so fearful of the truth? Did the posting of pictures of Obama and Trump’s inaugural crowd warrant this type of back lash to have a social media gag order? What happened to having a sense of humor and ability to take criticism via talk show hosts or even the SNL ongoing satirical performances? Isn’t it possible to laugh at oneself and benefit?

I know that many have fallen for the adage if you tell a lie often enough everyone will believe it, including yourself? I do understand our obsession with numbers and being on top regardless of life experience that ultimately teaches that the truth does matter and will help not hurt! So how is it still possible to deny that the popular vote for our last election didn’t go for our new President? Why fabricate a story about voter fraud with illegal immigrants? I do remember one of the more important life lessons my mom attempted to teach was how to be a gracious loser and a humble winner! So, what gives with our new President’s press secretary and advisor when it comes to their fear of just being real and honest? Do we need to invent the term alternative facts instead of just calling a lie a lie or a fabrication?

What’s fascinating is how someone, not just our new leader, can get how speaking out and up does influence the mass populace and in the past the silent majority usually lost to the vocal minority. It’s impossible to deny that following a drizzly rainy day for the inauguration of our 45^th President that there was a historic worldwide protest with two million people speaking out the following day. The pictures from cities all over the US and the world can’t be brushed away unless you are the master at diversion like making voter fraud the hot topic.

I do believe that what we say and how we live out our passions totally matter! It will be incredible to now see a group of scientists and nature lovers strand up and speak out! Do we need another pipeline that will trample across our nation to reveal the power of executive order? What happened to alternative energy sources? It’s ok to dream up alternative facts to avoid the truth but what will hit home soon is that our stewardship of our planet is at an all-time low? Recently just spoke with a couple of Chinese College students from Beijing who were amazed at the lack of pollution in the US! They were thrilled to be able to breath in less contaminates and now fresh air!

I know that the dialogue must be both ways or multiple ways for our country to work and not recede into a dictatorship. The question is whether you are going to speak out and up and not be the silent majority or minority? What makes life exciting and interesting is our ability to learn together, disagree together and then ultimately discover the truth together.