Francis Bacon, the former lord chancellor, once imparted that “if we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us.” Through the statement, Bacon depicts that when people speak up, they sustain the justice they deserve. Justice is in the matter of its people, and whether or not it is present, it is determined by the tenacity of the individual. Much the same, Albert Einstein's assertion that “those who have the privilege to know have the duty to act” demonstrates that when an individual is awarded the essence of knowledge, she or he must carry on the duty of informing and guiding others. Conversely, some may contradict that in reality, the matter of speaking up and taking action relies on only an individual's …show more content…
For instance, “The girl who got shot for going to school,” is an article written by Mishal Husain from BBC. The article informs its readers about a young Pakistani girl, named Malala, “whose life changed forever at age 15 by a Taliban bullet.” Malala’s dream was simply to be granted a fair education. Yet not all agreed with her wish, and in account of her unpopular opinion, her entire life was put at risk. While some believed her bravery put her life on the line, Malala’s courageous actions made history. In addition, Malala survived the wrath of her opponents, which supports the reasoning that those who speak up do triumph in raising awareness. In her effective venture to cease injustice, many individuals became informed of the global issue of forbearance of education for girls. Malala not only raised the profile of the issue—she also inspired others to communicate and fight the problem as well. Malala’s remarkable story illustrates that when knowledge is used to speak up, much good can transpire. Moreover, the idea that speaking up can raise awareness is reflected through the story of Emmett Till. Emmett till was a black 14-year-old boy who was accused of whistling at a white woman and was then abducted and killed. Recently, The New York Times released an article written by Richard Pérez-Peña that tells of a woman linked to Emmett Till, who “has broken her silence and acknowledged that the most incendiary parts of the story she and others told about Emmett… were false.” Some may insist that taking a stand will cost a life, but in this scenario, hate crimes and a loss of life were the outcomes of keeping silent. If a press release confronting the false statements was made at the time of Emmett’s existence, he might still be alive today.