Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of the “appalling silence” of those who are innately good, yet refuse to take any action, expressing that nonexpression is a greater evil than any radical viewpoint. To this group, you, who may not vote, who may not speak out against injustice, who may not express any opinions, I ask of you: does this silent portion of the population still exist, quietly living its lives and creating minimal impact on the world around it, or are King’s messages antiquated and outdated in modern society? Are you the modern-day representatives of this unfortunate group? These “good people” do exist in large numbers in the United States, and the nation has to pay for their inactivity. Laws not supported by a majority opinion, the lack of an influence in politics from the majority…society cannot benefit in any way from the silence of these people. Assuming that they are left out and forgotten by the system, these nonparticipants feel resentment for the isolation, and perpetuate the vicious cycle of inactivity.

The "silent majority" of the American people is now accepted as the status quo, the way things always have been and will be. Voter turnout is now the litmus test for political participation. Non-voters are becoming rampant in our democracy, with voter turnout hovering around a low 60% for general elections. At this rate, a candidate would have to win over 80% of that 60% vote in order to have true majority support. Thus, inactivity in voting threatens the very legitimacy of our government. In the recent November 7, 2013 midterm election, a few counties reported a mere 4% of eligible voters actually participated, in some cases to vote for a policy referendum that would aff...

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... through life, stuck in a self-centered world consisting of only immediate petty needs without any thought to the possible detrimental result of their refusal to express themselves, these people refuse to act.

As a majority, we do not act; we are complacent. We do not take a stand; we fear failure and humiliation. We do not lead; we follow. Society has every-increasingly grown passive, tired, and complacent. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s idea of the "appalling silence of the good people" is as poignant today as it was in the 1960s. If they remain silent in social issues that hurt others, the silent majority can be just as harmful to society as any radical viewpoint. If every one of this silent majority, from the non-voters to the non-activists to the non-expressors, would stand up for what they believed in, perhaps the world would be drastically changed for better.