The Players' Tribune: Silence is Violence by Mark Fraser

[Sticksandsun]

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/mark-fraser-racism-george-floyd-hockey-nhl

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[Jacob]

That slogan is so god damn stupid it borders on gaslighting. I sure hope civil rights can be achieved without turning the movement into a cult.

 

[NDiesel]

That slogan is so god damn stupid it borders on gaslighting. I sure hope civil rights can be achieved without turning the movement into a cult.

Maybe he struck a chord with you because you're choosing to be silent.

 

[M88K]

Maybe he struck a chord with you because you're choosing to be silent.

Or it's a dumb slogan?

 

[holy]

THAT’S WHY I KEEP YELLING!

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Yes. Silence is the same thing as putting your knee on a guy's neck or beating a guy to death because he's trying to keep you from looting his store.

Thanks, Mark.

 

[NDiesel]

Or it's a dumb slogan?

Or you're missing its point. There are most likely 3 groups in this situation, the people who stand against racism, people who are racist, and the most important group - the neutral observer. That 3rd group is the most important and it's no longer okay to just watch and observe and say I'm not racist - that's the whole point of the slogan. If you aren't working to better yourself, friends, or the world, then you might as well stand with the racists.

 

[NDiesel]

Yes. Silence is the same thing as putting your knee on a guy's neck or beating a guy to death because he's trying to keep you from looting his store.

Thanks, Mark.

Well, 3 officers stood and watched as that man was being killed SILENTLY, so you tell me if that silence was any different then the action itself.

 

[Geardedandbearded]

Or you're missing its point. There are most likely 3 groups in this situation, the people who stand against racism, people who are racist, and the most important group - the neutral observer. That 3rd group is the most important and it's no longer okay to just watch and observe and say I'm not racist - that's the whole point of the slogan. If you aren't working to better yourself, friends, or the world, then you might as well stand with the racists.

Only a sith deals in absolutes

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Maybe he struck a chord with you because you're choosing to be silent.

Was Mark Fraser silent when #MeToo was blowing up? Does that mean he supports women being sexually assaulted?

REQUIRING individuals to make a statement on a social issue is absurd because not only is it a personal choice, but if it's forced it really doesn't mean anything. Compliance is not support.

 

[Turin]

You can advocate for civil rights without sounding like a deranged cult member. Silence is violence, war is peace, freedom is slavery.

 

[M88K]

Well, 3 officers stood and watched as that man was being killed SILENTLY, so you tell me if that silence was any different then the action itself.

Yes it clearly was. I mean logistically if you're standing there your knee can't be on someone's neck, unless there's some kind of deformity... Did any of those 3 cops have knees in their feet?

 

[JoVel]

Well, 3 officers stood and watched as that man was being killed SILENTLY, so you tell me if that silence was any different then the action itself.

Come on man. You're not seriously comparing a police officer watching his colleague murder a person to some random guy sitting in his home?

 

[sufferer]

Silence is violence unless you don't want to snitch on your homie.

 

[Super Hans]

Or you're missing its point. There are most likely 3 groups in this situation, the people who stand against racism, people who are racist, and the most important group - the neutral observer. That 3rd group is the most important and it's no longer okay to just watch and observe and say I'm not racist - that's the whole point of the slogan. If you aren't working to better yourself, friends, or the world, then you might as well stand with the racists.

There's definitely more than 3 groups, my friend, and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop pigeon-holing people into your stereotypes.

 

[NDiesel]

Was Mark Fraser silent when #MeToo was blowing up? Does that mean he supports women being sexually assaulted?

REQUIRING individuals to make a statement on a social issue is absurd because not only is it a personal choice, but if it's forced it really doesn't mean anything. Compliance is not support.

I don't know if Mark Fraser was silent, but that's an irrelevant point to this conversation.

Again you're missing the point. No one is saying you have to go and scream in the streets or even comment about it, but if you aren't actively educating yourself or others on this issue, then you are okay with the status quo. If your personal choice is that you don't want to get involved in this social issue then your silence means that you are okay with how the world is right now, and you are part of the problem. You burying your head in the sand means that you're okay knowing that people of colour don't have the same rights as you.

Ignorance is bliss my friend.

 

[snipes]

Or you're missing its point. There are most likely 3 groups in this situation, the people who stand against racism, people who are racist, and the most important group - the neutral observer. That 3rd group is the most important and it's no longer okay to just watch and observe and say I'm not racist - that's the whole point of the slogan. If you aren't working to better yourself, friends, or the world, then you might as well stand with the racists.

Humans and human behaviour is so much more nuanced than to be limited to just your 3 categories.

This type of thinking is dangerous because you’re further creating an “us vs. them” mentality whereby if you are not actively protesting in the streets, then you are a racist. Which is a stupid ****ing take. Sorry.

 

[NDiesel]

Humans and human behaviour is so much more nuanced than to be limited to just your 3 categories.

This type of thinking is dangerous because you’re further creating an “us vs. them” mentality whereby if you are not actively protesting in the streets, then you are a racist. Which is a stupid ****ing take. Sorry.

It's not just protesting in the streets that constitutes doing something. It's voting for someone who will actually make a change, it's educating yourself, and it's educating other white people. There is obviously more than those three groups, but the point is if you think that doing nothing is the way to go, then you are contributing to the issue continuing.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I don't know if Mark Fraser was silent, but that's an irrelevant point to this conversation.

Again you're missing the point. No one is saying you have to go and scream in the streets or even comment about it, but if you aren't actively educating yourself or others on this issue, then you are okay with the status quo. If your personal choice is that you don't want to get involved in this social issue then your silence means that you are okay with how the world is right now, and you are part of the problem. You burying your head in the sand means that you're okay knowing that people of colour don't have the same rights as you.

Ignorance is bliss my friend.

It's not irrelevant. It's precisely the point.

Your entire 2nd paragraph reads exactly the same for #MeToo if you replace "people of color" with "women".

Mark Fraser probably wouldn't want to be looked at as a perpetrator of sexual assault on women simply because he didn't comment on it.

 

[NDiesel]

Come on man. You're not seriously comparing a police officer watching his colleague murder a person to some random guy sitting in his home?

No, I'm answering a post who said silence is not the same thing as violence by giving an example that we literally all just watched happen. IF you can watch a black man get murdered by someone and be silent, you're telling me you're okay with it and that's on you.

 

[JoVel]

Well if you aren't actively trying to change how your country is right now, then sorry you are racist. If you can't look at how black people are being executed and think "this isn't right, something needs to change" then you're the issue.

Let's not act like the black community is the only oppressed group of people in the world. If what you said made any sense, anyone who's not actively protesting for women's rights in, for example, Middle East is a sexist. Anyone who's not trying to change prejudice against the gay people is a homophobic. I could go on but you got the point.

 

[TheFinalWord]

I don't know if Mark Fraser was silent, but that's an irrelevant point to this conversation.

Again you're missing the point. No one is saying you have to go and scream in the streets or even comment about it, but if you aren't actively educating yourself or others on this issue, then you are okay with the status quo. If your personal choice is that you don't want to get involved in this social issue then your silence means that you are okay with how the world is right now, and you are part of the problem. You burying your head in the sand means that you're okay knowing that people of colour don't have the same rights as you.

Ignorance is bliss my friend.

Says the guy with an Italian slur as his username.

 

[Legionnaire]

This is easily disproven by the simplest of experiments.

 

[NDiesel]

Says the guy with an Italian slur as his username.

*Says the Italian

When you're called it growing up, you use it as a joke to combat it.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Out of curiosity, what does this mean for the vast majority of the black community who are silent when one black person kills another?

I'm just curious, because that happens far more often than police unjustifiably killing anybody, and yet we never seem to riot about it.