One of the root causes of so many ills in the North is the region’s culture of silence.
It manifests itself in all aspects of life, from politics, to family violence, to drug dealing and school bullying.
Silence is protection for evils of the world. It’s the light of exposure that burns them away.
This is true even on a personal level, as we experience our burdens lightened simply by sharing them with a sympathetic ear.
Closing up and refusing to speak the truth is how problems bubble and snowball.
Lesa Semmler, speaking about family violence at the Sisters in Spirit vigil earlier this month, commented about the culture of silence in family and relationship dynamics and how it leads to continued abuse.
In Northern politics, few seem bravely opinionated. Most politicians want the stories sterilized and any issues dealt with behind closed doors. Their communications officers write many of their speeches and comments.
This week, East Three Secondary School declined to do an interview on problems with bullying at the school – problems that have led to at least one student skipping large portions of class time and fearing for their safety.
It’s all well and good to say something is being dealt with behind closed doors, but these issues need to be aired. The conversation needs to be open. We need to shine the light on our problems so that we can discuss and address them.
There’s nothing an abuser wants more than silence. There’s nothing a criminal wants more than silence. Even depression and addiction percolate in the darkness.
This is why freedom of speech is so much more than being able to say cuss words or a simple legal matter. It is through speech that we find truth and improve ourselves and humanity. It is the light on the dark parts of ourselves that we still haven’t figured out.
When a child tells her mother, “Something is happening,” that is the light shining through, the first pierce into the darkness. From there, we pour more light on: “What is happening? What can we do?”
This is not to say that these problems are not being addressed at East Three Secondary School. In general, the school is very well run and has earned a strong reputation and level of trust in the community for good reason.
It is understandable why people and organizations prefer to keep their problems out of the media, and it doesn’t mean they will be any slower to fix them. But it also doesn’t lend much confidence to them doing so.
We can trust East Three to handle these issues internally while wishing the public discussion could include the school’s administration, who play a large role in combating bullying.
Though it is difficult and can bring its own bumps and bruises, only goodness can come in the end from talking about what’s happening and opening up a frank conversation.
Speaking out is eminently important, even – and especially – when it’s scary to do so.
From bullying to politics and family violence, exposure is the only treatment.
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