Forum Post: SPEAKING UP: one of our most powerful weapons. Say it out loud to EMBOLDEN others to do the same.

At critical moments, whether with our friends, family, coworkers or strangers, we must not remain silent. We must speak up and say it out loud: "The emperor has no clothes."

Speaking up, however awkward, emboldens the silent majority to speak up too. It's sound so simple and yet it is so powerful. We need to awaken to the enormous impact of listening to others speak up. And we need to awaken to the power of setting an example by speaking up, taking the stigma off speaking of what we feel and see....speaking up to say the emperor has no clothes. It can shake the foundations of power if enough are emboldened.

What has become clear is that a silent majority already feels the way we do in their bones. Polls from major news outlets last fall showed that 40 - 50% of the American public supported OccupyWall Street. Do you think they feel any better today about corporate hijacking of our republic, the destruction of the environment or the wrecking of our economy and children's futures? The trick isn't to convince them. It's to do whatever small things we can to make people feel comfortable saying things out loud. That coupled with subsequent positive action steps and positive vision of what other world is possible will continue the virtuous cycle and lead us to powerful transformation, real individual opportunity and genuine community.

Simply listening to someone who is speaking up or speaking up yourself is powerful and revolutionary act. Speaking up is a real nonviolent threat to the power structure, hence the tanks in Tiannamen and the riot police violently evicting peaceful American citizens from parks and public spaces. Hence the pepper spray. Hence the massive propaganda.

And the best way to fight this is to do the opposite of rage. We need to be nonviolent but we need to be shrewd, calm and calculating. This can be won. It will be won. I can see it now. I can feel it in my bones.

Other links to check out on this topic:

The Emperor and his Clothes: HOW ONE PERSON RAISING THEIR VOICE TO SPEAK THE TRUTH CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE -- the tenor of the times---   http://occupywallst.org/forum/we-have-the-power-to-turn-this-world-around-this-o/

WE HAVE THE POWER (using direct action and web in tandem):  http://occupywallst.org/forum/we-dont-see-the-power-we-have-in-our-hands-to-tran/

They did it in Iceland and it worked. This will blow you away: http://sue-adams.hubpages.com/hub/iceland-shows-how-to-solve-economic-crisis (read the short reticle 1st and then check out the short video at top of article. It'll make your day!).