The danger of silence | Clint Smith | TED

Prevoditelj: Mladen Barešić Recezent: Ivan Stamenković

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,

Dr. Martin Luther King mlađi,

in a 1968 speech where he reflects upon the Civil Rights Movement,

u govoru iz 1968. u kojemu razmišlja o Pokretu za građanska prava,

states, "In the end,

izjavljuje: "Na koncu,

we will remember not the words of our enemies

pamtit ćemo ne samo riječi naših neprijatelja,

but the silence of our friends."

već i šutnju naših prijatelja."

As a teacher, I've internalized this message.

Kao učitelj, ovu sam poruku razumio i usvojio.

Every day, all around us,

Svakodnevno i posvuda

we see the consequences of silence

vidimo kako se posljedice šutnje

manifest themselves in the form of discrimination,

manifestiraju u obliku diskriminacije,

violence, genocide and war.

nasilja, genocida i rata.

In the classroom, I challenge my students

U učionici, potičem svoje učenike

to explore the silences in their own lives

da istražuju šutnje u svojim životima

through poetry.

kroz poeziju.

We work together to fill those spaces,

Zajedno nastojimo ispuniti praznine,

to recognize them, to name them,

prepoznati ih, imenovati ih,

to understand that they don't have to be sources of shame.

shvatiti da one ne trebaju biti izvor srama.

In an effort to create a culture within my classroom

U nastojanju da stvorim kulturu u svojoj učionici,

where students feel safe sharing the intimacies

gdje će se učenici osjećati sigurnima dijeliti

of their own silences,

intimu vlastitih svojih šutnji,

I have four core principles posted on the board

četiri sam načela istaknuo na ploču

that sits in the front of my class,

koja stoji pred mojim učenicima,

which every student signs at the beginning of the year:

a što svatko od njih potpiše na početku školske godine:

read critically, write consciously,

Čitaj kritički. Piši svjesno.

speak clearly, tell your truth.

Govori jasno. Reci svoju istinu.

And I find myself thinking a lot about that last point,

Sam se često uhvatim u razmišljanju o ovom posljednjem:

tell your truth.

"Reci svoju istinu".

And I realized that

Shvatio sam da ću,

if I was going to ask my students to speak up,

budem li od svojih učenika zahtijevao da govore,

I was going to have to tell my truth

i sam morati govoriti svoju istinu,

and be honest with them about the times

i iskreno s njima dijeliti one trenutke

where I failed to do so.

kad u tome nisam uspijevao.

So I tell them that growing up,

Stoga im govorim kako su mi,

as a kid in a Catholic family in New Orleans,

kao djetetu u katoličkoj obitelji u New Orleansu,

during Lent I was always taught

tijekom korizme uvijek govorili

that the most meaningful thing one could do

da je najznačajnije što se može učiniti:

was to give something up,

odreći se nečega,

sacrifice something you typically indulge in

žrtvovati nešto čemu se inače prepuštate

to prove to God you understand his sanctity.

kako biste dokazali Bogu da razumijete njegovu svetost.

I've given up soda, McDonald's, French fries,

Odricao sam se mineralne vode, hamburgera, pomfrita,

French kisses, and everything in between.

ljubljenja, i svega ostaloga.

But one year, I gave up speaking.

Ali, jedne godine odrekao sam se govorenja.

I figured the most valuable thing I could sacrifice

Mislio sam da bi najvrednije što bih mogao žrtvovati

was my own voice, but it was like I hadn't realized

bio moj glas, ali kao da nisam shvaćao

that I had given that up a long time ago.

da sam se davno toga bio odrekao.

I spent so much of my life

Toliko sam svoga života potratio

telling people the things they wanted to hear

govoreći drugima ono što su željeli čuti

instead of the things they needed to,

umjesto onoga što su trebali.

told myself I wasn't meant to be anyone's conscience

Govorio sam sebi da ne bih trebao biti ničija savjest

because I still had to figure out being my own,

jer sam još trebao naći načina to biti sam sebi.

so sometimes I just wouldn't say anything,

Tako da ponekad ne bih rekao ništa,

appeasing ignorance with my silence,

popuštajući nečijem neznanju svojom šutnjom,

unaware that validation doesn't need words

nesvjestan da potvrđivanju nisu potrebne riječi

to endorse its existence.

da bi se dogodilo.

When Christian was beat up for being gay,

Kad su Christiana tukli jer je bio gej,

I put my hands in my pocket

zavukao sam ruke u džepove

and walked with my head down as if I didn't even notice.

i hodao pognute glave praveći se da ne primjećujem.

I couldn't use my locker for weeks because the bolt on the lock

Tjednima nisam koristio svoj ormarić zbog zasuna na bravi,

reminded me of the one I had put on my lips

koji me podsjećao na onoga na mojim usnama

when the homeless man on the corner

kad je beskućnik na uglu

looked at me with eyes up merely searching

pogledom tražio potvrdu

for an affirmation that he was worth seeing.

kako je on vrijedan moga pogleda.

I was more concerned with touching the screen on my Apple

Bio sam zaokupljeniji ekranom svoga Applea

than actually feeding him one.

umjesto da ga nahranim jabukom.

When the woman at the fundraising gala

Kad je žena na donatorskoj svečanosti

said "I'm so proud of you.

rekla: "Ponosim se tobom.

It must be so hard teaching those poor, unintelligent kids,"

Sigurno je teško poučavati tu jadnu, neinteligentnu djecu.",

I bit my lip, because apparently we needed her money

ugrizao sam se za usnu jer smo očito trebali njen novac

more than my students needed their dignity.

više no što su učenici trebali dostojanstvo.

We spend so much time

Toliko vremena provodimo

listening to the things people are saying

slušajući što drugi ljudi govore,

that we rarely pay attention to the things they don't.

a propuštamo obratiti pažnju na ono što prešućuju.

Silence is the residue of fear.

Šutnja je talog što ga ostavlja strah.

It is feeling your flaws

To je osjećaj da vaše mane

gut-wrench guillotine your tongue.

mučki giljotiniraju vaš jezik.

It is the air retreating from your chest

To je zrak koji se povlači iz vaših prsa

because it doesn't feel safe in your lungs.

jer se ne osjeća sigurnim u vašim plućima.

Silence is Rwandan genocide. Silence is Katrina.

Šutnja je genocid u Ruandi. Šutnja je Katrina.

It is what you hear when there aren't enough body bags left.

To je ono što čujete kad više nema dovoljno vreća za leševe.

It is the sound after the noose is already tied.

To je zvuk koji se čuje pošto se omča stegne.

It is charring. It is chains. It is privilege. It is pain.

To je karbonizacija. To su okovi. To su povlastice. To je bol.

There is no time to pick your battles

Nema vremena da odabirete svoje bitke

when your battles have already picked you.

kad su one već odabrale vas.

I will not let silence wrap itself around my indecision.

Neću dopustiti šutnji da se omota oko moje neodlučnosti.

I will tell Christian that he is a lion,

Reći ću Christianu da je on lav,

a sanctuary of bravery and brilliance.

hram odvažnosti i blistavosti.

I will ask that homeless man what his name is

Upitat ću onog beskućnika kako mu je ime,

and how his day was, because sometimes

i kakav mu je bio dan, jer katkad je

all people want to be is human.

'čovjek' sve što ljudi žele biti.

I will tell that woman that my students can talk about

Reći ću toj ženi da moji učenici mogu govoriti

transcendentalism like their last name was Thoreau,

o transcendentalizmu kao da se prezivaju Thoreau,

and just because you watched one episode of "The Wire"

i da to što je pogledala jednu epizodu "Žice"

doesn't mean you know anything about my kids.

ne znači da išta zna o mojim klincima.

So this year,

Stoga ove godine,

instead of giving something up,

umjesto da se nečega odreknem,

I will live every day as if there were a microphone

živjet ću svaki dan kao da mi je mikrofon

tucked under my tongue,

zamotan pod jezikom,

a stage on the underside of my inhibition.

na pozornici u podnožju moje inhibicije.

Because who has to have a soapbox

Jer, kome treba tribina

when all you've ever needed is your voice?

kad je sve što ste oduvijek trebali - vaš glas.

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Applause)

(Pljesak)