Every year since 1996, the Day of Silence has been observed on April 20^th. This day, students and adults alike take a vow of silence for 24 hours to resemble the silence of bullied members of the LGBTQ community. Anti-bullying campaigns have been run for countless years all across the nation. Whether it starts with a suicide, or simply a group of concerned parents, there is a powerful movement now to stop bullying. Laws have been made solid left and right to help end the suffering, but in many places some groups of people are lost in the shuffle.

    Gay rights aren’t something a lot of people like to talk about, especially in more conservative parts of America. Whether you agree with the supporters or not, one thing should be made clear; bullying of any kind is unacceptable. It is disgusting how often the bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, and/or queer students is overlooked simply because of how they identify themselves. (Though it should be noted, bullying of any kind is often overlooked as well.) Some people turn a blind eye to it either because they don’t know how to feel about the topic or because they actually think the child deserves to be treated differently. As I’ve already stated, no matter what you feel about a specific child, no one deserves to be hurt. They’re still children; they’re still human beings. The Day of Silence is a movement to “speak” against this overlooked abuse.

    On April 20^th every year, students might duct tape their mouths shut and wear articles of clothing supporting the movement. Choosing not to speak is in fact exercising all Americans’ right to Free Speech; or lack thereof. Students participating are asked to talk to their teachers about it first and tell them respectfully why they won’t be speaking on that day. They are also asked to arrange for other means of communication (such as a piece of paper or a personal whiteboard) so they do not hold up the learning process. However; the official website warns students that should they be asked to speak during instruction time, this is not something they can refuse. Students are also asked to be respectful, because this is not a movement of malice. It might seem like a problem, but even last year our school observed this day; though it was broadened to cover child abuse in general.

    Taking a vow of silence might not seem very effective, but for a moment, imagine what it would be like to be able to properly whisper to someone in the lunch room. Feeling the silence of thousands all across America does more than if we were activists shouting over eachother in a vain attempt to make our cause the most important. Not to mention, seeing so many mouths covered with duct tape is an alarming sight for anyone unaware of what’s going on.

    This year, the Day of Silence falls on Friday. No one is asking you to participate and no one is asking you to agree with what is happening. All that we ask is that you respect eachother; something that should be carried out through every day of your life. You have no right to bring down another student based on their beliefs, race, intelligence, or sexual orientation. No one has the right to bring you down either. Even if just for one day, do not be the enemy of your enemy. Take a lesson in mutual respect and see how far it takes you.