When my brother's daughter was learnign to speak, they made every effort to teach her the word "yes!" before the word "no!". They affirmed everything and phrased it in as positive, as gentle a manner as they could. While I shook my head at their efforts, I applauded their intent.

But the word came out, and, like the evil spirits from Pandora's box, could not be contained once released. As every parent quickly learns, "No!" is the child's first acknowledgement of their own autonomy, of their ability to control their own environment and the choices that they make.

Over the years, however, we are taught to selectively choose how and when to use the word "no!". Say no to drugs, but not to your boss. Say no to alcohol, but not to the police officer. The implication is clear: those in authority are right, and we should not question them.

But this isn't the thinking of a democracy; it's the thinking of a dictatorship. When German citizens failed to say "no" during the Holocaust, many died because of their acquiescence to authority. When American citizens failed to say "no" during the McCarthy era or the Salem witch trials, innocents suffered as well. As the old saying goes, "all that it takes for evil to triumph is for good men (and women) to do nothing" (parenthetical statement added). When you know better, it is not only proper to say "no", but it is sometimes your right to do so.

In America, we are blessed to have a well defined set of rights which cannot be infringed upon by our government. These rights were perceived by our founding fathers as "inalienable" (hence, their wording; they're not expressed as rights "given" us, but are stated as rights we have and which the government has no authority to remove). But many of our authorities are not well educated on our rights. It is, therefore, our duty to educate them.

So don't be afraid to use the word "no" in the proper time and place. The rights you save may be your own.