Part I: The Noise of Silence (Defined)

What is the voice of silence?  The voice of silence can be heard very loud among individuals in our society who find themselves being marginalized, disenfranchised and ignored.  It is the sound of voiceless people living in poverty, children who are hungry, those who are unemployed, the sick, elderly without proper housing and adequate health care.  It's the low-income citizens or no income citizens; it's the migrant worker without access to health care; it's the mentally ill with a dreaded undiagnosed disease; it's the substance abuser who cannot get appropriate treatment;  it's the raped victim who may not be able to get a legitimate abortion;  it's the sound of depression, stress, chronic diseases, illiteracy, loneliness, fear, and anxiety.  Are we the people listening?  Are we the people paying attention?