"The Sounds of Silence": Songs About Silence and Shame for Penn State

It's taken me a few days to begin to make any sense whatsoever of the disturbing and disgraceful story still unfolding at Penn State. Yet this much seems clear: what we are seeing at long last is another tragic example of the human cost of silence in the face of evil.
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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." It may seem odd to quote Edmund Burke -- a father of modern conservatism and classic liberalism -- here in Huffington Post, but with some issues, political distinctions seem meaningless. It's taken me a few days to begin to make any sense whatsoever of the disturbing and disgraceful story still unfolding at Penn State. Yet this much seems clear: what we are seeing at long last is another tragic example of the human cost of silence in the face of evil. In my life, the absence of silence is often music. So here are some songs that for me at least speak to this shameful story of good -- and not-so-damned-good -- men doing absolutely nothing to stop evil acts of abuse. As always, please add your own songs -- and your own thoughts -- below.

THE SOUND OF SILENCE - Simon & Garfunkel
WHAT'S THE MATTER HERE? - 10,000 Maniacs
CODE OF SILENCE - Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band
IN YOUR CARE - Tasmin Archer
SILENT ALL THESE YEARS - Tori Amos
CONCRETE ANGEL - Martina McBride
THE SILENCE BETWEEN US - Bob Mould
BREAKING SILENCE - Janis Ian
SAY IT AIN'T SO JOE - Roger Daltrey
HANDS CLEAN- Alanis Morissette
STORY OF BEAUTY - Destiny's Child
MODERN GUILT - Beck
OH THE GUILT - Nirvana
WHAT A SHAME - The Rolling Stones
SILENCE KIT - Pavement
SILENCE IS GOLDEN - Garbage
HELL IS FOR CHILDREN - Pat Benatar
SILENCE - PJ Harvey
SHAME OF THE NIGHT - Dio
BREAKING THE SILENCE - Queenryche
MR. TINKERTRAIN - Ozzy Osbourne
EVERYONE'S GONE TO THE MOVIES - Steely Dan
ANGELS OF THE SILENCES - Counting Crows
ASK ME - Amy Grant
BAD WISDOM - Suzanne Vega
CANDYMAN - Siouxsie and the Banshees
SHAME - The Avett Brothers
ALIVE - Pearl Jam
CODE OF SILENCE - Billy Joel
UNIVERSAL CHILD - Annie Lennox

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