Stand Up.

Every Tuesday morning at 11:05, Brigham Young University offers a campus wide (and also televised via BYUTV) devotional or forum where various speakers come and address the student body regarding random topics. This year we have had some pretty amazing speakers. Just to give you an idea, here is a short list of some of the bigger names we have had this year:

• President Thomas S. Monson, the living Prophet of God.
• Julie B. Beck, the General Relief Society President.
• Senator Joseph Lieberman.

A pretty impressive group, right?

Well this morning another impressive name was added to the list - Dr. Benjamin Carson. Dr. Carson came from very, very meager circumstances as a child. His mother only had a third grade education and was married at 13 years old only to later divorce her husband (who she found out was practicing polygamy) and raise her boys on her own while working three jobs to avoid relying on state money (we need more people like that in this world!). Dr. Carson was called "dummy" all throughout school due to failing grades yet, because of his mother's strict discipline, turned this all around and is now a best selling author, humanitarian, husband, father, and a professor of oncology, pediatrics, plastic surgery, and more at John Hopkins University. Incredible, huh?
Aside from being an inspiring public speaker, Dr. Carson also was a comedian. Yet, his jokes weren't necessarily funny but rather blunt. You know the speaker is going to be truthful when he starts out by warning the audience that what he says it not meant to be "offensive."

Something he said really stuck out to me - he warned against being politically correct.

Famous doctor say what?

In our day and age you walk on egg shells with everything you say, afraid to offend someone with your words. Dr. Carson said, "When I was a child, you learned 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.' I don't think the young people even know that saying any more."

I'm not sure how I feel about this.

On one hand, I feel that we, as a society, do need to monitor our words to protect those around us. Words can be hurtful and leave bruises deeper than the surface of our skin. I think bullying is one of the biggest problems our educational systems face today.

But then again, I don't feel that we need to monitor them so much that we in fact never speak up and stand up for what we believe in or feel is right. He made a very valid claim when he reminded us that not all of those in Nazi Germany agreed with the anti-semantic feelings of the Hitler government but they never spoke up or voiced their disapproving opinion. Instead they quietly sat and watched.

Now, I'm not sure what I would do in such a situation but I would like to think that I would speak up. Taking in what Dr. Carson said, I have now decided that I am going to stand up for what is right and protect my opinions no matter who it may offend.

Not everyone is going to be completely happy ever, anyway. You never can really win.

Our nation was based on people trying to get away from those attempting to manipulate and control what they could do and say. Now this same problem is facing our nation again but in a new way.

Stand up for what is right and what you believe.

Dr. Carson (and me) would be proud.

Xoxo