"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men"

This quote by Abraham Lincoln speaks with the value of speaking up and doing something about it when confronted with oppression. He is suggesting that when individuals understand something incorrect and do not take a stand versus it, they are basically excusing it. By not speaking up, they are permitting the incorrect to continue and are, in a sense, ending up being complicit in it. This quote is a pointer that it is not enough to just be aware of injustice, however that we need to take action to oppose it. It is a call to guts, to defend what is ideal and to not be quiet in the face of oppression. It is a reminder that we need to be brave and decide, even if it is difficult or unpopular. In this method, we can guarantee that justice is served which we are not cowards in the face of injustice.