Comment on Day of Silence Poster 2013 by arcanehalo
No it's fine, at first I did find it weird so I went to the website cuz I was curious how staying silent would be of any help. I thought silence would be of no help since I'm more of a speaker myself.
Then apparently the silence is just a way to get people's attention to the paralleled silence of the people who are bullied and can't say anything. I think it's a rather nice way to promote anti-bullying and also a more passive way.
Since I'm a vocal and similarly opinionated person I know that sharing views vocally sometimes isn't always productive and just gets people into arguments. The silence is an act of protest along with an act of solidarity.
As for two minutes for the people who died, and then silence for the bullied--well the causes are different. Anyway no one says you HAVE to participate in either, and although they set a standard it's upto you how long you stay silent right. For the war, the silence is out of respect for the dead. A way to get people to stop and listen to the silence. For the Day Of Silence, only some will participate--so it raises the question, who is being silent and why?
Silence won't stop jerks for being jerks, but as I said it just sheds light onto the situation, that bullying causes a kind of silence, and rather than silence making it easy to overlook the bullying, the silence sheds light on the bullied.
It may not be the most effective, but again, and I'm sorry if I'm slightly talking in circles but my points often connect and repeat, I just think it's a sweet and pacifist gesture. Noble in it's own way, though not the loudest and most change-orienting. The more people who do it though, the more effective, and the easier it will be for the bullied to realize that they are not alone.
Then apparently the silence is just a way to get people's attention to the paralleled silence of the people who are bullied and can't say anything. I think it's a rather nice way to promote anti-bullying and also a more passive way.
Since I'm a vocal and similarly opinionated person I know that sharing views vocally sometimes isn't always productive and just gets people into arguments. The silence is an act of protest along with an act of solidarity.
As for two minutes for the people who died, and then silence for the bullied--well the causes are different. Anyway no one says you HAVE to participate in either, and although they set a standard it's upto you how long you stay silent right. For the war, the silence is out of respect for the dead. A way to get people to stop and listen to the silence. For the Day Of Silence, only some will participate--so it raises the question, who is being silent and why?
Silence won't stop jerks for being jerks, but as I said it just sheds light onto the situation, that bullying causes a kind of silence, and rather than silence making it easy to overlook the bullying, the silence sheds light on the bullied.
It may not be the most effective, but again, and I'm sorry if I'm slightly talking in circles but my points often connect and repeat, I just think it's a sweet and pacifist gesture. Noble in it's own way, though not the loudest and most change-orienting. The more people who do it though, the more effective, and the easier it will be for the bullied to realize that they are not alone.
Phew, someone who finally responded to my comment without blocking me.
The day is not for 'Anti-bullying' it is for 'anti gay bullying' and I find that a little indecent because there are people who get bullied for other things and we seem to think it is not as bad as being bullied for your sexuality...And that's a little wrong, gay people do not need a special little day because they get bullied, the day should be for all people who have been bullied. (Funny how we say bullying is terrible but we happily go separating the reason of being bullied into some kind of unfair hierarchy.)
I know they are different but I find it rather obnoxious that for one cause we are quiet for a day for anti gay bullying, for the other cause we are quiet for 2 minutes for the millions of people who died in the war.
I know what you mean by only some will join the day of silence leaving people to wonder why they are quiet but I shall explain my opinion on this later.
I think millions of people are already aware of bullying, we see appeal ads, we see it in the news, newspapers, on the TV and we see it on the internet.... A lot of people are aware of bullying and the long term effect.... I don't think we should shed more light on a subject that is already bathing in the sun....
It does seem to be a nice gesture but the thing is it is ONLY a nice gesture to those people who have been bullied due to their sexuality not for other reasons.
How does being quiet make people aware anyway? Loads of people don't really notice if a teenager is quiet let alone an adult....
Instead of shedding light on gay bullying you might need to shed light on the actual day and what it is about. Because for the whole 14 years of me existing I just realized that this day exists..... Might need a sub day to make the day more noticeable.
The day is not for 'Anti-bullying' it is for 'anti gay bullying' and I find that a little indecent because there are people who get bullied for other things and we seem to think it is not as bad as being bullied for your sexuality...And that's a little wrong, gay people do not need a special little day because they get bullied, the day should be for all people who have been bullied. (Funny how we say bullying is terrible but we happily go separating the reason of being bullied into some kind of unfair hierarchy.)
I know they are different but I find it rather obnoxious that for one cause we are quiet for a day for anti gay bullying, for the other cause we are quiet for 2 minutes for the millions of people who died in the war.
I know what you mean by only some will join the day of silence leaving people to wonder why they are quiet but I shall explain my opinion on this later.
I think millions of people are already aware of bullying, we see appeal ads, we see it in the news, newspapers, on the TV and we see it on the internet.... A lot of people are aware of bullying and the long term effect.... I don't think we should shed more light on a subject that is already bathing in the sun....
It does seem to be a nice gesture but the thing is it is ONLY a nice gesture to those people who have been bullied due to their sexuality not for other reasons.
How does being quiet make people aware anyway? Loads of people don't really notice if a teenager is quiet let alone an adult....
Instead of shedding light on gay bullying you might need to shed light on the actual day and what it is about. Because for the whole 14 years of me existing I just realized that this day exists..... Might need a sub day to make the day more noticeable.
haha I don't see why you should be blocked. I know the feeling though. Sometimes it's like "I'm probably gonna get lots of angry responses again or something just because I have an opinion *sigh*" but opinions are opinions I think we can discuss it like mature folk yes? 
On the rest yes I get what you mean. The timing does seem off huh, a whole day for this and short time for that but yeah you already said you get the difference in purpose.
As for being aware of bullying we only know of it as an abstract fact. When people protest in an area you're in it makes it's presence known to you. It's like saying "yes, even here people are bullied for this. Just because you're not a bully and you don't see it happening, doesn't mean it's not here."
Honestly I've never seen anyone bullied around me for these causes. But I think I saw someone share on my school's campus "secret files" which is anonymous letters from students and teachers that they were discriminated openly in class. I didn't think such things happen, I still think it's just for attention and not an actual confession. I know it's cold to think that since it might be true, but since I didn't see it for myself I don't want to assume anything and take action. After all my school has an LGBT pride march.
Also the subject is bathing in the sun nowadays, it's nice isn't it? Before it was so taboo... but my brother brings a point. Why's there need for awareness when people are so loud about it anyway? my counter-point was that we don't even know if people are really listening yet.
Perhaps people wont notice a silent anonymous teenager/adult but at least in that person's circle there'd be something heard. I honestly can't say much about it. I was home alone on Day of Silence huhu I had no use being silent that day. TTvTT
Also I'm like 20 and I only knew of this day last year haha. There's really not much going on in this event as far as my close environment is concerned. But for someone I think it's an important day that means something. So I try to show my support of it.
But indeed I think the gay thing is kinda sad. Like I feel like Day of Silence should be about bullying in general and not just bullying gay kids. I guess it's just that right now it's the biggest controversy. Society is a weird thing isn't it? even morals are based on "the latest trends". But in my mind I just reason it as "if they don't give themselves a specific voice, then they will feel just as ignored." there should be a color for bullying in general and not just violet for the LGBT community. I think Day of Silence should be more about that haha.
Rather than Day of Silence I'm actually more for Spirit Day being the LGBT uh...I don't wanna say "holiday" or anything. Just a datereally FOR THEM. Since it really focuses on the deaths of specific cases, and every other case to come close. Day of Silence doesn't.
It's just a date, and really people pay attention to dates. Again back on my point, it's a "pacifist" activism. Which is a nice idea. Perhaps one day when Day of Silence takes more root in the community we can really up the level of the kind of activity and awareness it will raise. The same way Valentine's day suddenly pooped out singles awareness day humorously, perhaps Day of Silence will give rise to other kinds of action as well. Like it's a day of silence and people will wear the color code for the specific cause they want to support. (but then we'd all be dressed in different colors. What's the point? There should be more on it haha, like the actual words "Day of Silence. Or wear face masks. okay I'm ranting random ideas.)
So for now, back to your original post, you have the absolute right to think it's a waste of time. But then, so are so many holidays, and so many traditions observed if you think about it. It's just all about what you want to celebrate and what you want to say. So it's really okay if you think it's a waste of time, but the fact that you discussed it with me makes me feel like it isn't. The Silence, ironically, is about being heard, and listening.
We didn't discuss bullying, true, but we discussed the meaning of the whole project..why it's a waste of time...why I think it isn't--not really anyway. It's just about personal promises, and saying something. If no one really listens, or if the silence is just part of the background noise of the already deafening shouts about the issue of gay bullying, then those are things that can't be helped. But the times that it is paid attention to, I think it brings great relief to those who participate, and to those who are thought of when doing this petition. I'm sure it makes them feel more supported, if only in a small way. Things always start out like that, hopefully one day it will become something bigger and make some real change.
Then maybe the time will be shorter...because it will by then be all about respect of the meaning, rather than trying to get attention.
On the rest yes I get what you mean. The timing does seem off huh, a whole day for this and short time for that but yeah you already said you get the difference in purpose.
As for being aware of bullying we only know of it as an abstract fact. When people protest in an area you're in it makes it's presence known to you. It's like saying "yes, even here people are bullied for this. Just because you're not a bully and you don't see it happening, doesn't mean it's not here."
Honestly I've never seen anyone bullied around me for these causes. But I think I saw someone share on my school's campus "secret files" which is anonymous letters from students and teachers that they were discriminated openly in class. I didn't think such things happen, I still think it's just for attention and not an actual confession. I know it's cold to think that since it might be true, but since I didn't see it for myself I don't want to assume anything and take action. After all my school has an LGBT pride march.
Also the subject is bathing in the sun nowadays, it's nice isn't it? Before it was so taboo... but my brother brings a point. Why's there need for awareness when people are so loud about it anyway? my counter-point was that we don't even know if people are really listening yet.
Perhaps people wont notice a silent anonymous teenager/adult but at least in that person's circle there'd be something heard. I honestly can't say much about it. I was home alone on Day of Silence huhu I had no use being silent that day. TTvTT
Also I'm like 20 and I only knew of this day last year haha. There's really not much going on in this event as far as my close environment is concerned. But for someone I think it's an important day that means something. So I try to show my support of it.
But indeed I think the gay thing is kinda sad. Like I feel like Day of Silence should be about bullying in general and not just bullying gay kids. I guess it's just that right now it's the biggest controversy. Society is a weird thing isn't it? even morals are based on "the latest trends". But in my mind I just reason it as "if they don't give themselves a specific voice, then they will feel just as ignored." there should be a color for bullying in general and not just violet for the LGBT community. I think Day of Silence should be more about that haha.
Rather than Day of Silence I'm actually more for Spirit Day being the LGBT uh...I don't wanna say "holiday" or anything. Just a datereally FOR THEM. Since it really focuses on the deaths of specific cases, and every other case to come close. Day of Silence doesn't.
It's just a date, and really people pay attention to dates. Again back on my point, it's a "pacifist" activism. Which is a nice idea. Perhaps one day when Day of Silence takes more root in the community we can really up the level of the kind of activity and awareness it will raise. The same way Valentine's day suddenly pooped out singles awareness day humorously, perhaps Day of Silence will give rise to other kinds of action as well. Like it's a day of silence and people will wear the color code for the specific cause they want to support. (but then we'd all be dressed in different colors. What's the point? There should be more on it haha, like the actual words "Day of Silence. Or wear face masks. okay I'm ranting random ideas.)
So for now, back to your original post, you have the absolute right to think it's a waste of time. But then, so are so many holidays, and so many traditions observed if you think about it. It's just all about what you want to celebrate and what you want to say. So it's really okay if you think it's a waste of time, but the fact that you discussed it with me makes me feel like it isn't. The Silence, ironically, is about being heard, and listening.
We didn't discuss bullying, true, but we discussed the meaning of the whole project..why it's a waste of time...why I think it isn't--not really anyway. It's just about personal promises, and saying something. If no one really listens, or if the silence is just part of the background noise of the already deafening shouts about the issue of gay bullying, then those are things that can't be helped. But the times that it is paid attention to, I think it brings great relief to those who participate, and to those who are thought of when doing this petition. I'm sure it makes them feel more supported, if only in a small way. Things always start out like that, hopefully one day it will become something bigger and make some real change.
Then maybe the time will be shorter...because it will by then be all about respect of the meaning, rather than trying to get attention.