My take on the immortal words of Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937): I can’t say that I hate the indifferent. Hatred is a taxing and negative type of energy that I reserve for the select few, including those individuals and regimes involved in the wholesale slaughter of fellow human beings in the name of religion and ideology.

On the one hand, the indifferent infuriate me; on the other, I am saddened, disillusioned, and bitterly disappointed by their indifference. What Antonio Gramsci says is true. The indifferent are cowards. They renounce life. They betray their own conscience for the sake of comfort and convenience. They’re afraid, overwhelmed, and ignorant. They choose safety and silence (is complicity) over advocacy, activism, and integrity.

As Archbishop Desmond Tutu correctly pointed out, “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.” The indifferent ally themselves by default with the oppressor over the oppressed. Shame on them.

I’m also reminded of this quote by another persecuted individual, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie. One word of truth outweighs the world. Be courageous, don’t participate in a lie, be human, dear friends and colleagues.

Embrace alignment and the Human Promise in all aspects of your life.

MAA