Speak Up Research Paper

Speak Up (Exemplification) Have you ever just stood by when someone else was being picked on? Sometimes you just don’t have the courage to stand up for that person. I’ve experienced many situations in which I’ve ignored or simply have been too scared to speak up against. For example, when I was in grade school, I encountered a bully picking on one of the new kids and I could have said something to stop him. Just anything at all, but I didn’t. I walked away because I was too scared to stop what I knew was wrong. I believe one should have the strength and courage to speak up against what one knows is wrong. First of all, strength is often paired with how big you are, yet is that what strength truly is? Any person, regardless of size, can feel cowardice, fear, and intimidation. Those are some feelings many have felt. That is something I have felt. Those times when I was a spectator of others being bullied are without a doubt an example of my weakness. It's easy to say speak up against bullying, but courage is not something that many people have. It is an acquired
trait. It took seeing others get bullied for me to realize it was not right. That was the start of me building true strength. Without a doubt I am not one hundred percent there yet, but just as fear does not recognize size, courage doesn’t either. Secondly, the courage to speak out requires a strong sense of one's morality.
How can you tell others how to act if you do not have the knowledge of what is wrong and what is right? You have to know what you stand for. For example, if you’re starving and you come across an apple tree and decide to pick an apple off, is that necessary wrong? Of course, it is. You realize it is wrong because you know stealing is bad. Just like how we know bullying someone is bad because you know your own morals. When I saw that bully picking on the new kid for being new, I was outraged at how someone could treat another person based on something as simple as being new to a school. I knew my self-morals, but I didn’t have a strong sense of it to stand up for what I knew was going against my morals. It takes the strength you have in your own morals to have the courage to speak up against what you know is
wrong. Even when I have grown up and am now attending college, these morals still hold true for me. Now that I’ve had time to grow and learn what exactly my morals are, I believe I do have to strength and courage to stand up for what I believe in. Now I just don’t stand there when I see someone being bullied. For example, I witnessed a confrontation while riding the public bus. This older kid was harassing another kid because he wouldn’t give his iPod to him. Normally, I’d just ignore and mind my own business but just seeing the younger boy’s scared face made me angry. I quickly stood up and went over his bully and said for him to stop it and to leave the boy alone. I caught a glare of defiance at first but then he quickly back down. I couldn’t have done this if I didn’t have the courage or strength in my morals. Finally, having the strength to stand up isn’t about having physical strength; it’s having the strength in what you believe in. Having courage isn’t about being brave but about knowing what your self-morals are and how strongly you believe in them yourself. It’s easy to get discourage and to be afraid. So I know getting the strength and courage to speak out for your beliefs is hard to obtain but when you do, it will always be there to guide you. So you can help someone else who might need your strength and courage. Speak up for what you know is right and for what you know is wrong; never lose sight of it and you’ll do just fine.