Sometimes you need to use that voice.

So, this week at Grand Valley State, a student was shot by a cop. Obviously, they are investigating it. But as of right now, there is no aparent reason for this shooting. The student was unarmed, and the parents were not informed of the shooting until their son (who had been shot) called them from his hospital bed. It all sounds kinda fishy to a lot of people. So today on the GVSU campus, friends and fellow students of the student who was shot held protests. They were peaceable protests, mostly just students holding signs and chanting. Nothing violent. We were watching coverage of the protests on the news while my Dad, Grandma, Grandpa and I were eating dinner. I about choked on my dinner when my Grandpa made a comment about how protest do no good, and the students were wasting their time. I had a hard time biting my tounge. It's not that I knew the student shot or anything, it's the principal behind the situation. I was proud of the students for demaing that there be honest answers to this shooting. They could just sit back and do nothing, and swallow whatever the police told them was the truth. Instead, they showed the police (in a non violent way) that they wanted real answers, not politically correct answers. It made me realize that this is a problem with a lot of people in our society. They feel that they have no right to speak out when there is an injustice, or they have a strong opinion. We have been tought to just keep our opintions to ourselfs, and deal with it. But there is a time and a place for remaining silent. But there is also a time to speak out and stand your ground. We were given voices to use them. I would understand a comment such as the one my Grandpa made if the protest would've been violent. If there would've been a riot, and people hurt....etc, I would agree it wasa meaningless protest. But when a body of people stand up for what they believe in, in a peaceful mannor, it can be very effective. The message sent by the students today was loud and clear, and done so peacefully. It got me to thinking about a similiar protest that took place in January against abortion. Nobody got violent, nobody created a hostile invironment. But the protest showed the nation that despite President Obama's views on abortion, there are thousands of us willing to stand up for the unborn. It sent a very strong and powerful message. So saying that protesting is meaningless, is wrong. Don't let anyone tell you that your voice is not worth being heard. Learn when to hold your tounge, as your tounge can be used for evil. But when the time is right, don't be afraid to stand up for what is right. God gave us all individual voices for a reason. We were meant to be heard, not just seen. Imagine if Jesus had never stood up for what was right. Imagine what would've happened if he hadn't spoken up. This world would be an even scarier place than it is now, overrun with sin and disaster. Jesus knew when to speak up, and when to lead by example. Read his word, learn when to speak up. So when he calls you to speak up for him, you're not afraid to do so