How can the silent majority find its voice?

The phrase, silent majority, often conjures up an image of moderation and sanity — a population hemmed in from either side by the strident voices of extremists.

The problem with this characterization is that it reinforces the self-imposed impotence of those who survey the political landscape while believing that as individuals, they have no capacity to be instruments of change.

But the silent majority hasn’t been silenced. It is silent by choice.

Anyone who speaks out risks alienating themselves and fracturing relationships they cherish.

The path of least resistance is silence, keeping a low profile, and avoiding conflict.

During less fractious moments in American history, it was often reasonable for many people to choose to be politically disengaged, concerned more with their small corner of the world while less interested in the possibilities for societal change. But we don’t live in such a period.

Nevertheless, speaking out doesn’t compel anyone to take sides.

Polarization doesn’t mean that everyone is forced to position themselves inside one or the other political camp. Moreover, the nature of the current polarization doesn’t have to be defined by either camp.

Even while American remains a contested term — thus true American serves principally as a means of excluding other Americans — patriotism is a value that is in miserable disrepair.

As easy as it is for patriotism to veer towards rabid nationalism, it’s spirit was and remains best captured by the lyrics of Woody Guthrie:

This land is your land and this land is my land
From California to the New York island
From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me

This is what it means to be American. It’s not about division or dispossession — it’s heart is inclusive.

If the silent majority, as individuals, as communities, scattered and connected across this continent, starts to find its voice, this is surely what it can and needs to say, to say loudly and to say again and again.

Paul Woodward, January 3, 2022