Would you stand up and be counted?

There's been an issue been occupying my mind (and Mr E's as well) for a few months. While it is fairly minor, it has taken a lot of our focus. It appears to us and others, that someone wants to change something for what appears to be changes sake. For the rest of this post I shall refer to this person as the Agent of Change. The Agent has attempted to make this change and convinced some people that this change is inevitable. Pity that those people are very excited about it and actually don't have final say in it.

Mr E. went to a meeting about this change late last year. Things that were agreed at this meeting have not occurred and the issue of change has been pushed even further. The Agent of Change has denied any agreement at that particular meeting. Along the way the Agent has called people liars and seems to feel that if there is any less than positive discussion or comment toward the change then the only place it could have come from is myself or Mr E. However, the Agent has said that a number of people had objected to the change but it seems that we may have been the only people to sign our names to their objection.

It seems people are quite happy to object as long as they aren't identified. Someone has even gone up the chain but is afraid of the consequences so is hoping that their name isn't mentioned. Mr E has taken the plunge and written to a number of people include the Agent of Change and their superiors. After another meeting, it seems other people are more willing to stand up and oppose the change.

It remains to be seen if it makes any difference or if they are willing to put their name to their opposition. I've been a little upset about this as I received a phone call from the Agent of Change assuming that a particular negative response was ours due to being nameless. To a certain extent I've felt that other people have been gutless by not owning up to their opinions. That said, I'm probably being hypocritical because I asked (or pressured, perhaps) Mr E. to go the the first meeting. Things just snowballed from there.

Perhaps with the number of people talking about going above Agent of Change's head the issue may get dropped. What really concerns me is the number of people who seem to scared to stand up for their opinions. It's quite disconcerting to know that at least one adult has even said that they are too afraid of the Agent of Change to own their opinion.

Surely that in itself is enough to get the Agent's superiors to look at what's been going on. I'm thinking that this change is only a tiny piece of what's been happening.

Is it worth voicing your opinion if you are too afraid to own it?