IN the good old days, cowards surreptitiously drew out a dagger or spear, and in a crowd drove such into the chest of some unwary person. Nobody knew who did the deed because they, the dagger thruster was hidden well. Very often today with CC TVs installed everywhere, or a secret cameraman in the vicinity, the photo catches person committing the crime. What you see on his face is a feeling of security that though he is throwing a stone, or molesting a woman, he won’t be find out.
The same with white collared cowards who send anonymous letters or go on a signature campaign and hide their own behind the signatures of all the others they have managed to convince to sign. Suddenly somebody says, “Hey wasn’t it you who instigated everyone to sign?” And the person cleverly replies, “I am just one of the many signatories!”
It is so easy to hide behind anonymity. How often we hear juicy bits of gossip, after which the person whispers, “Please don’t mention my name, okay!” Once a man I knew went about gathering signatures. He went from house to house trying to convince people to sign his petition, later, when the person to whom the petition was given asked, “Who spearheaded this operation?” The person who had done so, replied, “Does it matter?”
Yes it does, because it doesn’t only show how brave you are, it also shows the strength of your conviction. I believe in something, so I am willing to say that I was the mastermind! I believe what is being done is wrong, so I am leading a movement against it! I believe that though I gathered other people to sign with me, still I should reveal I started the issue.
This is not just courage but the right thing to do. Every action needs a face, unless it’s an election where voters vote in secret, and a faceless majority topples politicians with a face. But a movement needs bold faces.
The worst people, the biggest cowards are those who write anonymous letters. I once received one, and found from the post office it had been sent by a man who strutted and walked around like a courageous and brave soul. A man who instigated people into physically attacking others, a man who always hid behind others and used gossip and lies as his weapon. His anonymous letter was his characteristic signature. When you sign a petition, have the guts to stand up and say you were part of it, don’t hide behind anonymity, like many do..!
