“Standing up to terror is the only way to take its power away.”
– Bruce Wayne, Gotham
Season 4, Episode 18, “That’s Entertainment”

From this week’s episode of Gotham, a simple, powerful quote.

This one resonates with me simply because… well, anywhere you go, people will be trying to avoid something terrible. In some cases, it might not be that bad, but in others, it can be a matter of life and death. It’s a natural reaction, then, to just try to avoid catching the attention of those who would do you harm. One looks down, avoiding eye contact, hunkering, hiding, trying to escape notice. It’s normal. It might even be all one thinks one can do.

But here’s the thing: living in fear isn’t any kind of way to live.

To spend every day hiding, looking down, hoping just to not be noticed… that’s not a good life.

Now, I don’t mean to discredit anyone who lives that way. I’ve done that plenty of times, and I’ve never had my life at stake, so I am hardly fit to judge. Indeed, it takes a certain strength to endure a life like that, I think. So, I don’t mean to judge, let me be clear. All I mean to say is that there is a better way to live.

It must be understood, when one stands up against terror, one is imminently risking one’s life. Bruce himself is aware of this, as he’s standing against one of the most violent and terrible madmen his city has ever seen. But he trusts his friends to save him, and even if they fail, even if he dies… he’s still choosing to make his stand.

All evil needs to win is for good men to do nothing, as the saying goes, and evil preys on the weak because it fears the strong.

Until the day when people everywhere stand against terror instead of kneeling to it, they will always be its victims.

But on that day, the day they rise, that is the day they will finally be free, because terror will have no more power over them, not ever again.