{"id":2102,"date":"2020-09-08T07:01:47","date_gmt":"2020-09-08T07:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/peykmagazine.com\/en\/?p=2102"},"modified":"2020-09-08T07:01:48","modified_gmt":"2020-09-08T07:01:48","slug":"silence-is-not-an-option","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peykmagazine.com\/en\/2020\/09\/08\/silence-is-not-an-option\/","title":{"rendered":"Silence Is Not An Option"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>By Shahri Estakhry<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">It is mind-boggling where we are.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>As I write this editorial, there are reportedly more than six million individuals in the United States who have been infected by COVID-19 and more than 180,000 of our countrymen and women (and children) have died from it. These are just the cases that have been reported and that we know about.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>In just the second quarter (April-June) of 2020, the U.S. economy fell more than 30% and over thirty million people have lost their jobs so far this year. Millions of people are on the verge of homelessness. These figures are mind-numbingly large, representing an incomprehensible number of individual lives impacted. We become stunned by the sheer magnitude<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">It is also mind-boggling how we got here. Looking back over the nightmare of the past seven months, I fear that\u2014as a society\u2014we have lost compassion for others and are not able to show even the most basic respect for one another\u2019s safety.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Under the false democratic pretense of \u201cit is my right,\u201d we have allowed a pandemic of epic proportions to flourish.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Once public health experts explained that mask-wearing protects the people around us, rather than ourselves, people made the decision they were willing to sacrifice other people\u2019s health. It didn\u2019t and doesn\u2019t have to be this way, as we see in countries like Vietnam and New Zealand, that quickly responded to COVID-19 with comprehensive methods requiring collective individual action.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Today, democracy is under assault around the world.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Ironically, some of the largest challenges come from inside the U.S., where we pride ourselves on being democracy\u2019s greatest defender. And in turn, we are feeling the heat of these challenges. U.S. citizens are banned from visiting many countries around the world\u2014a repetition of the nightmare Iranians went through with our passports after the revolution.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I was talking to an American friend who expressed her disbelief at the current situation. I laughed and told her in this category I get an A+ for I have already experienced a bloody revolution.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>To what degree and how often must a human being experience such injustices before being put into a grave and finally at peace?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Is that where we must look for peace? In our graves?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We cannot be quiet any longer, silence is not an option!<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">It is time to follow what the late U.S. Representative John Lewis taught us:<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><i>Keep moving and don\u2019t be silent<\/i>.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We are all born with a strength that is to be used when wrong has been done.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>There is a long journey ahead of us and perseverance is needed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">I dream of a world where no human being is scorned but every child, woman, and man is truly honored, respected, and free\u2014where equality and justice are a reality for all.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We will demand what is rightly ours as human beings. This beautiful land needs all of us to rebuild again.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This democracy has to live to its fullest promise, one that is more vibrant and inclusive.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>As the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, \u201cA great nation is a compassionate nation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">This is the last issue of <i>Peyk<\/i> before the U.S. General Election on November 3rd. If you are a citizen, you must register and you must vote.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It is your right and it is your choice.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If you are like me, you immigrated to this country, never imagining in your wildest dreams what is happening today. I feel an obligation to the future of this land.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If we have to stand for hours in line to cast our ballots, so be it.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>You cannot reap from this nation without being part of its governing process and future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">I am not devoted to any particular party. But I am concerned and will vote for those individuals that will make a difference for the future of this country and serve with honesty, dignity, and compassion.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"p3\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><b>Tuesday November 3 \u2013 Please VOTE<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Shahri Estakhry It is mind-boggling where we are.\u00a0 As I write this editorial, there are reportedly more than six million individuals in the United States who have been infected by COVID-19 and more than 180,000 of our countrymen and women (and children) have died from it. These are just the cases that have been<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2042,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"two_page_speed":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Silence Is Not An Option - Peyk Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/peykmagazine.com\/en\/2020\/09\/08\/silence-is-not-an-option\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Silence Is Not An Option - Peyk Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Shahri Estakhry It is mind-boggling where we are.\u00a0 As I write this editorial, there are reportedly more than six million individuals in the United States who have been infected by COVID-19 and more than 180,000 of our countrymen and women (and children) have died from it. 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