The Necessity to Speak Response

Many of the topics that Sam Hamill discusses in his essay The Necessity to Speak are considered by most to be controversial, such as murder, rape and domestic violence. The main point Hamill tries to get across in his writing is, that by being silent and not discussing these issues properly, we are continuing to allow them to happen.
He believes, and I completely agree, that if we could simply confront these taboo subjects rather than ignore them, the world would be a better place. If men learned how to be “real men” through positive figures and not what the media presents to them, domestic violence and rape wouldn’t be such a common affair. Much the same for women, that if they were appropriately presented with such issues, teen pregnancy rates would be lower and they wouldn’t as easily fall into abuse.
This piece is similar to poetry of witness because it is from a stand point of personal experience or of an observer. One personal experience Hamill mentions is serving as a Marine in the Vietnam War, during which time he became a “conscientious objector.” During Vietnam, soldiers would refer to the Vietnamese as “gooks” as a way to de-humanize them and justify killing them. He also notes that when military recruiters visit schools there is no opposition or voice to support non-violence, which leads to more young people enlisting to become trained executioners.
Another concept Hamill addresses that can lead to violence if misunderstood is homosexuality. Many innocent people become victimized due to homophobia, much like in Mark Doty’s poem “Charlie Howard’s Descent,” in which a young man is killed simply due to his orientation. One of my favorite quotes from Hamill is “knowledge is the loss of innocence,” however, I would like to add that it is also the gain of understanding.


Tips for ending violence:
http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-stop-domestic-violence-a76868

Image source: http://aromitorevista.blogspot.com/2010/02/sam-hamill-cinco-poemas.html