My American Voice

How do you know when to speak up ? When someone is getting bullied, speak up. When you see someone being rude, speak up. When you get a F on a test and you know you didn't deserve it, SPEAK UP! People speak up when they know something is wrong. But the problem is, we're afraid to speak up because we don't want to say anything wrong that will make the situation worse, so we remain silent. When someone is getting bullied right in front of you, take the risk and speak up because how are you going to make a difference if you just stand there and observe. I think it just depends on the situation. On our past experiences, obviously we know when to speak and when to be silent (well some people) being silent isn't necessarily bad. For example, if your friend's hamster passed away, the act of just comforting and hugging them is more effective then saying "Sorry for your loss". So silence can also be a powerful thing. One of the hardest decisions in the world is whether you should speak up or shut your mouth. There was this time when I went to go buy school supplies at Wal-Mart, and came across a mother yelling at her 10 year old son. This mothers yelling was so loud,  that she can be heard 5 ailes away. I didn't know what to do, a part of me wanted to go tell that mother "Excuse me, but you're making a scene and you're embarrassing your son. Can you please keep it down ?" and then a part of me wanted to keep quiet since it's none of my business. When I speak up, usually I don't think before I speak. It just comes out. If I'm trying to talk myself out trouble by my parents, I usually just speak without thinking.