Saw this and thought of you lot

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

"I swore never to be silent whenever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

It's from a Holocaust survivor (lifted from here, do sign the pledge too) but it struck me as being relevant to feminism as well.

It's an interesting quote. However, as an example of its flaw, the supporters of the BNP would also identify with it: they too believe that they are oppressed, humiliated and tormented. I would suggest that neutrality is often the more balanced view...

(the Holocaust, obviously, is one of those exceptions that stops 'often' from being 'always'.)

Elephants, I agree. I often think to myself when I feel alone (being the only fem in these parts) that the only reason evil exists is for the good to do nothing. That is why we are in the state we are in IMO due to apathy.

There's no such thing as neutrality. Anyone who thinks there is is blind to their own power. That's kinda the point of the quote. 'neutrality' is actually playing into the hands of the status quo and the powerful.

Liked the quote elephants. It's something I'm coming to realise more and more these days.

This is why I can't stand the argument of "If you don't like it, just ignore it". I see/hear it all the time, usually in relation to some shitty misogynistic 'joke' or FB status update, and the scary thing is that I often do. I hide people instead of challenging them, and I know I shouldn't.