Thread by @ooana

This is an incredible editorial from @KarenLehrmanB, the publisher of @TheWhiteRoseMag. Her vision, to shine a light on the illiberal left while also urging those who don’t trust they can speak out that, not only is it right to and that they must do, but also that

they can and will find fellow voices once they do. It permeates from this piece. A theme, for me, of recent weeks has been a fear that I’m yelling into a void, and then voices telling me out right that, no that worry is not true. There are millions of us.

“There are bullies of action and there are bullies of inaction—those who enable and empower evil.” She is right. There are so many examples of such behavior I can think of both in my personal life, but also that has impacted and I’d say without apology, hurt us all.

The 20th anniversary of 9/11 will soon be here. This makes the excuses or silence or manipulation that some are doing, only because they are too shallow or too…who the hell knows, to speak up about what has happened in Afghanistan all the more frightening.

“Silence is not violence, but it does speak volumes about character. The fact that leftists were able to destroy the consciences of moderate Democrats is perhaps the most telling aspect of this horrific moment in U.S. history.” -@KarenLehrmanB

She’s right. Living in NYC now, at this time, having visited the WTC yesterday after finding myself being drawn back after several years and seeing…no…feeling the power of authenticity after what has felt like an unstoppable dehumanization and destruction of what we, all of us,

managed to do to find a way to…keep going. There is no other way to really say it, was something I didn’t know I could even hope to experience let alone want it.

What was it that choked us? Silence. I realize now after reading her editorial that silence isn’t empty.

Silence can be loud, stuffed with words and slogans and passion. What it lacks, is any expression of truth. It dares to tell you that there, in fact, is no truth. That there is nothing universal, especially our humanity.

Silencing - it grips with both hands, not only covering your mouth but your whole face. It shakes you to your bones. It tells you that we, Americans, have neighbors that can dare be compared to people who just days ago hung an interpreter by the neck -

by throwing him out of a black Hawk helicopter and flying his broken body high above the city of Kabul like a banner.

Remember this? This. Look. Yesterday someone asked me what I meant when I said the ribs of the oculus reminded me of this image.

They were not ignorant. They were young. They have no personal memory of that day. They were at the site while working for a gallery. They came from Florida with a coworker who is Cuban.

The Cuban said “I was 10, I remember we all watched as the towers fell.” The American had asked “which way did they fall?” Imagine. He had never seen it. I can’t imagine that. It felt strange to be able to show him while standing there with my phone.

Karen says many things in this article; things that need be said. The truth. “The Taliban has reminded us that there really isn’t that much difference between leftists and Islamists. Both are part of a cult. Both are taught from birth to hate and segregate.

Both follow an arbitrary set of rules that can’t be deviated from. Both don’t allow individual thought. Both use violence. Both see the U.S. military as evil white supremacists. Both want to annihilate Judeans.”

She also talks about the complexity of what she calls the #KabulSilence

She shows that there are those that silence, those who are silenced and those who silently watch.

There may be many who make up these three elements that fill our ears and eyes every day...

sometimes it feels like all day. But…two things are absolute. Now is not forever and, there are millions of *us.*

Some tough love, from @TheWhiteRoseMag

whiterosemagazine.com/toxic-tribalis…

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