We need to stand up against hate crimes. We need to be the voice of those whose voices were stolen from them. Trayvon Martin, Shaima Alawadi. Just a couple of the most recent victims of hate crimes here in the US. But there are more - too many more. Here and across the globe, people are murdered because of the way they look, who they love, the way they dress, and because of the way they believe. This is not just about civil rights. This is about Human Rights.
The wonderful thing about the internet is not just the ability to contact your friends and relatives. Use this network for the greater good. Spread the word. Spread the stories of those who have been struck down due to their differences. Due the ignorance and the intolerance of a violent minority. This is not a minority of any particular color, ethnicity, religion etc. This is a minority of intolerant and bigoted individuals who DO NOT represent how the majority feel.
Give voice to the injustices that the governments, law enforcement, and other "official" agencies have committed. Speak up and demand that justice is achieved for victims of these vicious crimes. Spread the stories, contact the media, be the voices for the voices that have been silenced forever. Demand fair trials. Demand accurate detective work. Demand that these agencies do not let these victims fall between the cracks, or worse - through loopholes in shady legislation.
Whether or not I share beliefs or cultures with these victims, I will help them. Whether the color of our skin or the choice of their lifestyle is different, I will help them. Why? Because under the clothes, the skin color, the life choices - WE ARE ALL THE SAME. We are human. We are all citizens of this world. We all deserve the right to live, to believe, to love. The criminals who commit heinous crimes of hate have more rights than the victims of their brutality. They have more rights than the people whose lives they violated and snuffed out. They shouldn't. Victims, even those who are no longer with us, have rights too. We need to make sure their rights are upheld.
Follow the hash-tag on Twitter #BTheirVoice and spread the word. Follow organizations that work for victims. Amnesty International @Amnesty , Unicef @Unicef , Occupy Wall Street #OWS , and other Occupy groups #Occupy . Facebook, Google+. These are just a few of the forums for our voices. Spread the word as far as you can. Let your voice be as loud as it can be. You do have a voice. Please use it, because there are too many who no longer can.
We need to Be Their Voice. Speak Up. Speak Out. Silence is deadly.
