I guess I’m going to make this blog post more of an open letter.

I see you. We ALL see you.

The ones who don’t publicly take a stand against the atrocities that are happening in the US right now.

Obviously, there are reasons many people don’t speak out. If they are marginalized and just too damned exhausted anymore. If they’re mentally ill with something like anxiety, depression, etc and to do so would severely affect their mental health. If they legitimately fear for their source of income… or their lives…

Yes, there are reasons. Good, valid reasons to stay silent. This isn’t a message for those people.

No, this message is for those who haven’t said a peep against the entire disaster that is the US since before November. The ones who don’t have any solid reasons other than ‘it’s just politics (hand flap)’ or ‘it doesn’t affect *me* why should I care?’

That’s exactly how Hitler rose in power.

By good people standing by and doing nothing.

Trying to straddle the fence of ‘don’t alienate your readership’ isn’t a good reason. Not Sorry.

If you’re a writer… and you’re active on social media in general, and especially if you’re white… (or you look it) and you DON’T speak up against the hate? Right now? With what is going on in general and in Charlottesville in particular?

I see you. I’m not buying your books. I’m not recommending your books. Not anymore.

There are few ways I can make a difference being an expat. That right there is one of them.

If you can sit quietly by and NOT say a loud NO to what is going on right now?

You don’t get my help, my recommendations and you sure as hell don’t get my cash.

I’ll give it to a marginalized creator or a person who IS loudly protesting what’s going on instead.

This isn’t the time to sit quietly by and do nothing.

If you think it is? You’re on the WRONG side of history. You’ve already fallen off the fence and into the Nazi camp.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Edmund Burke