Silence is not neutral: why leaders must speak up to protect democracy

In 2020, after I wrote about why businesses could not afford to stay silent during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, a former business partner reached out. He seemed dismayed by my suggestion that businesses should use their voice. Not wanting to risk losing or offending some of his clients, he saw neutrality as safe. I didn’t. I still don’t.

More recently, a LinkedIn contact told me his employer explicitly told him not to post about politics. He chose not to follow that guidance. He continues to speak the truth in spite of what his business espouses. He makes choices rooted in courage, and he is my hero.

Since federal agents shot and killed innocent civilians Keith Porter, Renee Good, and Alex Pretti and detained thousands of others, the people are rising up across the nation, using their constitutional rights to assemble and protest peacefully.

Last Saturday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents sprayed tear gas and other crowd-control chemicals into two peaceful protests in Portland that included teachers from my kids’ elementary school, union members, families, and children.

Attendees held signs expressing solidarity with Minneapolis protesters and calling on ICE to stop detaining children. As the crowd slowly moved toward the ICE facility, dozens of federal agents began throwing flashbangs and tear gas at the crowd without any warning. “Children, pets, the elderly, and those in wheelchairs and pushing bikes were forced into a crowded street where no one could quickly escape a growing plume of tear gas that burned eyes, throats and lungs and had people pushing blindly ahead to find clear air,” according to Alex Baumhardt of the Oregon Capitol Chronicle, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. “Children screamed in pain and confusion.”

The next day, federal officers again threw heavy gas and munitions into the crowd of protesters. The Oregon Capitol Chronicle reports that “the gas deployed by chemical agents was thick enough to be seen and felt from nearly a mile away.” Two schools and countless homes are within that one-mile radius.

People are not quiet. And for good reason.

But some still treat these threats to democracy and innocent civilians as someone else’s concern. That silence has consequences. You cannot wish away the sound of families in distress or the sight of children exposed to poison gas. You cannot pretend democracy is safe while communities are terrified and constitutional norms are challenged.

So this is a direct question for every business leader reading this:

Which side will you be on?

The cracks we see across our democracy affect the stability of society, trust in public institutions, talent retention, market confidence, and community well-being. A functioning democracy is not a luxury good for a few. It is the foundation for every thriving community and every resilient economy.

Here is why leaders must stand up now more than ever.

• Public sentiment is shifting. National polls now show that most Americans view ICE’s use of force as unjustified and support major changes to the agency’s practices. Many Americans say they would support restrictions on ICE or even its abolition, a significant shift from past views.

• Leaders who stay silent give up moral authority. Whether you are a CEO, a small business owner, or a team leader, your employees and clients are watching. They want to know what you stand for when the stakes are high. They want to know you value safety, humanity, and fairness.

• Companies and organizations don’t operate in a vacuum. When communities are destabilized by fear, violence, or threatened civil rights, the ripple effects reach every sector…from labor availability and consumer behavior to local economic vitality.

• History favors those who act with conviction. Movements that reshaped this country did not succeed because no one felt fear. They succeeded because people and institutions were willing to use their voices, invest time and resources, and create pressure for lasting change.

These reasons are why we revere Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Sitting Bull, Mahatma Gandhi, Ida B. Wells, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Dolores Huerta, Nelson Mandela, Harvey Milk, Cesar Chavez, Malala Yousafzai, and Greta Thunberg. These people did not stay silent out of fear. They risked their lives to speak truth to power and effect change for the common good.

The Twin Cities are already showing what this looks like in practice.

Neighborhood-by-neighborhood organizing. Massive participation in ICE observation trainings. People learning how to protect rights, document abuse, and support one another over time. Courage becomes contagious when it is practiced daily.

The response from those in power tells us what to expect next. Escalation. Intimidation. Efforts to suppress dissent and undermine elections. Which brings us back to leadership.

For businesses and employers, this moment is not theoretical. Fear destabilizes communities. Destabilized communities weaken workforces. Weakened workforces undermine economic resilience.

We cannot have a thriving business environment without a functioning democracy. Does your organization claim to be driven by values? Well, this is what those values are for. Values that disappear under pressure are not values. They are marketing language.

Speaking up requires clarity, naming what is unacceptable.

• Killing people in the streets is unacceptable.

• Gassing children is unacceptable.

• Suppressing protest is unacceptable.

Your silence does not protect you. It only delays accountability and shifts harm onto others.

Democracy is not going to defend itself. It relies on people and institutions willing to speak, participate, and stay engaged after the moment passes.

Businesses across the country are choosing to act. Individuals are choosing courage. Communities are organizing with care and resolve.

The question is simple: which side will you be on?

Let’s make your message the one they remember. Fertile Ground Communications transforms complex ideas into clear, compelling messages that capture attention and inspire action. Whether you’re a small business, public agency, or nonprofit, we help your voice break through the clutter and connect authentically with your audience.