Silence is the Enemy

Men and women from across the blogosphere have been writing in support of the Silence is the Enemy campaign started by Sheril Kirschenbaum over at The Intersection.

Silence is most assuredly the enemy when it comes to violence. Some quick facts*:

• 1.6 million people worldwide die each year from violence. More than 51,000 are Americans.
• Violence is the leading cause of death among people aged 15-29.
• The U.S. saved $14.8 billion on heath care, police response, lost productivity and death in the first five years of the Violence Against Women Act. In comparison, the investment in the program to prevent violence against women was $1.6 billion over the same time period.

According to a 2008 Research!America survey**, 98% of Americans think that the U.S. should work to prevent violence in the U.S. and 61% think the U.S. should work to prevent violence globally. Either way, that's a lot of Americans who want to stop the violence before it starts.

How will you stand up and make your voice heard so that silence is no longer the enemy?

*Facts from the Investment in research saves lives and money fact sheet on Global Violence.
**See slides 12 & 13