“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.”

– Martin Luther King, Jr., “The Trumpet of Conscience” Steeler Lecture (November 1967)

It’s been 50 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death.

Many of King’s words seem just as urgent and profound today as they were when he spoke more than half a century ago.

Too bad many of us are now silent.

You hear some version of the same old advice almost every day.

“Don’t talk about politics.”

Or, “Don’t write about politics.”

This is bad advice.

Sure, there are times you will have to follow these suggestions. Your job, is probably one example.

You have the right to remain silent, even when you’re not being arrested.

But that doesn’t mean that staying silent is a good idea.

A Matter of Life and Death

“A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true.” – Martin Luther King Jr.’s sermon in Selma, Alabama (1965)

We are all affected by politics, whether we like it or not.

Do you eat food?

The Food and Drug Administration decides which ingredients are acceptable for the food you eat.

Budgets are passed on the local, state and federal government levels to build and improve the roads on which you drive, the schools your children attend, among other issues that affect our daily lives and routines.

Many people falsely believe they can afford to not think about politics.

I’ve never had the privilege of this delusion.

My family is a military family. My dad served in the U.S. Army. His service began during the last few years of the Vietnam War and ended a few months before the Gulf War started in 1990.

Looking back, most of my dad’s military service was during peacetime for the United States.

But our family paid very close attention to the news, especially during the 1970s and 1980s. There were regular discussions about politics in our home.

I learned at a very early age that politics plays an important role in people’s lives.

Even when our ability to create needed changes seems limited, it’s still crucial to discuss politics and to be as involved in the political process as possible.

Also, our actions, even seemingly small steps like following news stories from at least a few different sources and voting on a regular basis, are important.

We Need to Talk (and Write)

Many of us have questions, especially knowing that half a century has passed since King’s death.

These questions include:

• “What’s changed during the last 50 years?”
• “What more needs to be done?”
• “How can I help change things for the better?”

If you’re asking yourself even one of the questions, great!

Now, go ask someone else. Write about these questions and what you’re learning and doing to find answers.

And that’s the scary part, right?

Liars, and Trolls, and Haters. Oh My!

Let’s not kid ourselves.

Trolls suck.

If you write about your beliefs or opinions anywhere online, even on your own personal Facebook feed among your “friends,” someone will disagree and there’s a really good chance some people will be rude and insult you.

You can’t let someone else’s ignorance justify your silence.

It’s not fair to the people who need to know that someone agrees with them, or at least, is willing to talk about issues that are important to them.

Besides, you already deal with rude people in real life. This includes rude customers at your job, or getting bad service at a restaurant or store.

That doesn’t stop us from working, dining out or shopping.

Right now, our world seems filled with people screaming at each other about political issues.

Does it make you wonder, “Where are the people who can have a civil discussion about politics?”

I have a better question for you.

Why can’t you be one of those civil people who writes about politics?

It won’t be easy. Nothing worth doing is easy. And you won’t be perfect. Nobody is perfect.

That’s why community is so important.

Get support from friends and family.

Connect and meet up via social media and/or in person with other writers and bloggers who can give you helpful advice on dealing with trolls.

It’s sometimes easy to see a potential shouting match with a troll coming from a mile away, and then refuse to take part in that.

But sometimes arguments can suddenly pop up with those who generally agree with us on some political issues.

How to Lose Friends and Not Influence People: A Confession

I’m comfortable discussing politics, both with people who agree, and with people who disagree, with me. I try to be respectful when I write or speak about my opinions.

But I’ve done it wrong more than a few times.

One of my most obvious mistakes happened when I was a high school senior. We were having a political discussion in my AP English class.

I insulted one of the guys in my class who disagreed with my opinion.

That was mistake was big enough.

Too bad I made things worse.

I later yelled at one of my friends who had sat silently in our AP English class during the discussion. I was furious that my friend didn’t speak up, especially since I knew this friend agreed 100 percent with my point.

I eventually apologized to my friend and to the guy in our class.

How to Talk About Politics

I learned an important lesson the hard way, which is best summed up by another King quote.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”– from Martin Luther King Jr.’s book, Strength to Love (1963)

After wasting an angry and exhausting week during my high school senior year, I didn’t stop talking about politics.

I decided to try to do a better job of sharing my opinions with those who disagree with me.

After all, isn’t that what we all do when we’re learning a new, important skill?

We make mistakes. Important lessons are then learned from those mistakes.

We try to do better. And we gradually improve, even when more mistakes are made along the way.

You do this while starting a new job. 

You’re probably already doing this now, as you become more informed about political and social issues, and as you become a better writer. 

You’re doing this as you become a better spouse, parent, or friend.

Why should learning how to discuss politics be different from learning any other much needed skill?

So, if you don’t feel confident or comfortable about discussing politics, don’t go away and be silent.

Stay, learn, and get better.

Then connect and work with others to help improve communities in your state, across the nation, and even around the world.

Don’t let silence speak for you.

I’ll leave you with one more quote.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — from Martin Luther King Jr.’s book, Strength to Love

Do you write or blog about politics? Are you hesitant to write about politics? Please share with us in the comments below your thoughts, questions or any other comments you have about writing.