Missing a Gear

My favorite Tumblr page AZspot posted a quote from the late historian and social activist Howard Zinn this week that caught my eye:

I don’t believe in neutrality because the world is already moving in certain directions and wars are going on and children are going hungry. Terrible things are happening. And so to be neutral in a situation like this when things are already moving is to collaborate with whatever is going on. And I don’t want to collaborate with the world as it is. I want to intrude myself. I want to participate in changing the direction of things.

Closely related is a quote from Desmond Tutu:

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.

And finally, the great Canadian philosophical collective known as Rush also has something to say on the matter, from thier song Freewill. (Yes, I know they were talking about something else, but it works, so just go with me on this):

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice

This speaks so clearly to something I've been saying here for a while now, and it's very simple:

There is no neutral 

I've offended more than one person with that assertion, and I must admit I'm still amazed when it happens. It seems we want our cake and eat it to. Particularly as Followers of Jesus, there are some issues we would like to pass on. We can't.

Taking no position on an issue is casting a vote for the status quo. Like it or not, you're taking a stand. Always. So give it some thought.

Comments

[robert]

Totally agree. There is no neutrality. Taking a stand by sitting around is the laziest vote but a vote nonetheless.
Good post.

[Erin Wilson]

Yeah... you've totally nailed it.