Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led by example...will you?

I’ve been outspoken for just about my entire life. I feel very strongly about speaking up when I disagree and I am not shy about expressing my opinion, especially when it comes to the well-being of others. I recently had the opportunity and the determination to speak and advocate on someone else’s behalf. I am a member of a gym and exercise about 5 times per week. My gym offers a variety of classes and they really work for me. I am a subscriber to the theory that it’s easier and more fun to exercise with direction and other people. I have been knee deep in my routine for about two years now and working with the same trainer/group exercise leader. She is the sole reason for my club membership, so when she told me that the club had dropped her health insurance, I was outraged.

She was visibly stressed and frustrated about the situation and as soon as she explained it to me, I knew I had to react. The company didn’t drop her health insurance because of any negligence on her part. They dropped the insurance because she was not meeting the average weekly minimum requirement of 15 classes. She was at 14 classes because the company eliminated one of her classes and didn’t offer her a replacement class. This was completely out of her control and the company didn’t offer her any options or share the impact of this decision with her. I knew that I had to do something immediately. Healthcare is the hot button topic in the nation right now and the debate is roaring as healthcare companies continue to record record profits in a recession. I didn’t even have a second thought. I told her that I would be contacting the company. As a member, I have every right to voice my opinion about services. They are because I am.

Within 45 minutes I had gone home and written a detailed letter to the company expressing both my gratitude for the programs offered by the club and my extreme dismay at the lack of courtesy toward its instructors and trainers. This was a letter about principle and how you should treat employees. I was adamant that something had to be done and that I had already spoken other club members who would rally behind the trainer and cancel their memberships if she was forced to leave. I gave those facts and figures and plenty to think about. I know that it was numbers and the fear or losing members that caused them to react, but that’s good. While I didn’t get a response to my commentary directly, they did respond to the employee in question. My letter was passed around the company until someone was forced to take action. I am happy to say that just a day after my letter was submitted, the trainer received confirmation that her insurance had been reinstated and she would be sure to have coverage.

I am one person who was determined to speak up and fight on behalf of someone’s civil rights even though it may have stirred the pot and been unfavorable to some. I wasn’t worried about the result of speaking up, but the result of not speaking up when something is wrong. I did this for one in hopes that it would affect many others and hopefully this wouldn’t happen again. I also did it to remind people that they have a voice and deserve to be heard. Oftentimes people let fear and intimidation dictate their actions. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was and still is a shining example of standing up for civil rights and what is right. He wasn’t afraid to stand up in spite of adversity because he believed that all men and women are created equal. He had a dream and because of him, so many of us are able to dream and speak freely with confidence.

-Daphane is a blogger for The Sorbate. Check out her bio to see where her view comes from.