Silence is Cowardice?

Wasted Honor -

Carl R. ToersBijns is the author of the Wasted Honor Trilogy [Wasted Honor I,II and Gorilla Justice] and his newest book From the Womb to the Tomb, the Tony Lester Story, which is a reflection of his life and his experiences as a correctional officer and a correctional administrator retiring with the rank of deputy warden in the New Mexico and Arizona correctional systems.

Carl also wrote a book on his combat experience in the Kindle book titled - Combat Medic - Men with destiny - A red cross of Valor -

Carl is considered by many a rogue expert in the field of prison security systems since leaving the profession. Carl has been involved in the design of many pilot programs related to mental health treatment, security threat groups, suicide prevention, and maximum custody operational plans including double bunking max inmates and enhancing security for staff. He invites you to read his books so you can understand and grasp the cultural and political implications and influences of these prisons. He deals with the emotions, the stress and anxiety as well as the realities faced working inside a prison. He deals with the occupational risks while elaborating on the psychological impact of both prison worker and prisoner.

His most recent book, Gorilla Justice, is an un-edited raw fictional version of realistic prison experiences and events through the eyes of an anecdotal translation of the inmate’s plight and suffering while enduring the harsh and toxic prison environment including solitary confinement.

Carl has been interviewed by numerous news stations and newspapers in Phoenix regarding the escape from the Kingman prison and other high profile media cases related to wrongful deaths and suicides inside prisons. His insights have been solicited by the ACLU, Amnesty International, and various other legal firms representing solitary confinement cases in California and Arizona. He is currently working on the STG Step Down program at Pelican Bay and has offered his own experience insights with the Center of Constitutional Rights lawyers and interns to establish a core program at the SHU units. He has personally corresponded and written with SHU prisoners to assess the living conditions and how it impacts their long term placement inside these type of units that are similar to those in Arizona Florence Eyman special management unit where Carl was a unit deputy warden for almost two years before his promotion to Deputy Warden of Operations in Safford and Eyman.

He is a strong advocate for the mentally ill and is a board member of David's Hope Inc. a non-profit advocacy group in Phoenix and also serves as a senior advisor for Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council in Chino, California As a subject matter expert and corrections consultant, Carl has provided interviews and spoken on national and international radio talk shows e.g. BBC CBC Lou Show & TV shows as well as the Associated Press.

I use sarcasm, satire, parodies and other means to make you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Silence is Cowardice?

This old adage that silence is golden is very much exaggerated if you ask someone that relies on feedback to validate a position or thought or even a political stand on some moral issues that impact our communities or society in some form or another. This viewpoint was worthy of me giving it another thought and determine whether silence is indeed golden or a mark of cowardice in mankind. It is often perceived to be a sign of being “yellow” and given a negative overtone that can't be defended at times.

How to you remain silent when the danger is imminent and is needed to preserve life? How do you justify your silence if your words may mean the difference between right and wrong? It all comes down to your own conscience and your ability to control your tongue when it it time to speak or say nothing at all. Thinking the tongue is only capable of speaking evil often justifies not speaking at all since the tongue has been known to whispering rumors, gossip, backbiting, lying, slandering and other negative behaviors or actions that may cause a liability of personal responsibility to be invoked.

Thus it could be understood why silence can be golden. However, exploring the other side of it being cowardice, we find this action of remaining silent in the face of danger, challenges or struggles as a sign of weakness and unwillingness to speak out to defend one self or others. Under what conditions is it proper to speak out and be proclaimed courageous and brave under such circumstances.

Treading the grave issues and problems facing society and workplaces today, it has become most difficult to speak out for fear of reprisals or retaliations that are protected by rule of law in some cases but left unprotected in many more. One should not merely speak out and warn others of dangers or difficulties just because they are afraid or fear others may be hurt. It must be done because of the values between doing the right thing and the wrong things in such circumstances.

Additionally one must not be silence because they fear condemnation, rebuke of their words or errors in their delivery . Breaking the silence should be prompted because rather than remaining silent, they chose to warn others of dangers or difficulties by telling what they believe to be the truth or their role in this particular situation demanded it was their duty to speak out and not shun their role responsibility as well as the trust put into them by others around them. Yet when it all said and done, there are many today are remaining silent when circumstances and conditions demand that they speak up.

What other options are there? Well you can become apathetic to the problems, or a fence sitter or the compromising individual that discards their personal responsibilities and refuse to carry the load or accept the obligation to help, support or build up others and encourage change or other actions that are righteous in content but carry condemnation with actions by the opposition or others not in agreement with your values or direction. Hence it still might come down to whether speaking up or remaining silent is a characterization of cowardice and not of courage for such person lends strength to the forces of evil and by failing to oppose can be considered and counted as the enemy as well for all practical purposes.

Actively or passively, they support the opposition with their silence and help create the abyss that divides the right way from the wrong way of doing things based on human morality values and norms. Speaking out won't be popular but it will support those who have an honest and good heart; and who have the courage and dedication to faithfully express the truth.