You are commanded to raise your voice!

This is a guest post from Jackie Lee

Over the weekend I was lazily watching the Sunday Morning Show, one of those guilty weekend pleasures I guess. It’s usually pretty relaxing stuff, and doesn’t really get me fired up. However, this week they featured an extended interview with Harry Belafonte Jr. I must say, I know his name, but I wasn’t super familiar with him and the things he has held dear throughout his life.

The interview was very interesting, he’s done some amazing things, and stood up for some really incredible causes in his life. I was about to go about my day and not think much of this interview when at the end of the piece he said this:

A patriotic citizen is commanded to raise their voice to the issues they feel are important to the nation.

Wow.

Commanded to raise their voice?

Issues that are important to the nation?

Here’s the actual interview.

hmmm…

It got me thinking. I’m a mom. I’m a blogger. I’m a huge lover of social media.

I believe that we are killing our children with the decisions we’re making about the food and food like substances we put in their mouths.

I have some pretty strong feelings about it as a matter of fact.

However… as I look at my blog, and my facebook page I see a bunch of wishy washy, let’s not offend anyone comments, and content. I can remember times when I’ve gone to “like” some more radical comments and thoughts that I completely agreed with and then thought better of it, with thoughts of … “Hmmm who will see this?” and “What will they think?”

I’ve carefully measured my words, and my outrage in order to maintain the status quo, and to not upset anybody’s apple cart.

But WTF?

Isn’t it the status quo that got us here? Isn’t it the fact that people aren’t willing to stand up and say “quit bottle feeding your 1 year old POP!?!” that got us to this place we are now? Isn’t it because some of us aren’t willing to stand up to the majority and say, “this is some messed up stuff we’re doing to our kids!” that got us to a place where childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last 30 years, and the place where more than 1/3 of children and adolescents are obese?

Isn’t it our silence that allows this to continue?

Harry Belafonte seriously smacked me in the head when he said it is my DUTY, in fact, I am COMMANDED to RAISE MY VOICE, as a patriotic citizen, and I am a patriotic citizen, to the issues that are important to our nation.

I wonder… as bloggers, and obsessive social media folks (or is that just me) how can we better use our voices to bring about change in this country?

What could YOU be raising your voice about, that you aren’t because you wonder what others might think?

Let’s talk about it…

Can you use your platform to raise awareness without killing your business? Should you? Do you think as a patriotic citizen you’re commanded to raise your voice on issues? I can’t wait to jump into this conversation with you!

Jackie Lee is a full time work at home mom on a mission to end childhood obesity in her lifetime. She’s helping the busy families of this country juggle family, fitness and food and make better choices one blog post at a time at www.EverydayLifeandBalance.com. You can find resources for your family and join the conversation at her facebook group Family, Fitness and Food.

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net