In simple terms, I was inbetween management and employees as a volunteer union representative.
Employees were happy I spoke what was right... until management came walking around the corner. One employee was talking privately with me, and indepth and soon as he saw the manager, he basically said:
"@intelliguy! Stop talking to me about the union! I am not interested!"
I was shocked. After the manager left, he said "sorry about that, I just can't be seen talking to you"
That is when I learned... when it comes to freedom of speech, everyone decides for themselves when, where, and how it happens.
So when you ask:
What I need are examples of you where you opened your mouth and risked something
I risked my job. I risked my eligibility for career advancement. I risked my friends. I risked everything being in that position Speech was the important part of all of it.\
The risk I took while being hated by both management and employees alike helped both sides even if I was the victim of the inefficiencies of the union role and targeted by it.
So yes, I've been in similar situations before.
...after explaining this to you, if you still doubt my capability about talking about this subject, then I can offer nothing more.
I don't know you and I don't doubt your capability.
I asked for encouragement through an example.
Now you have given one.
You don't have to like me and it seems you felt offended by me taking your thoughts out of the theoretical realm into a practical one. That is a risk I took. Consider that other people who do not comment could appreciate getting examples out of ordinary peoples lives.
I would like to get an encouraging meaning from what you experienced - so far I don't get the message of what positive you got out of your interventions.
The positive message is that when it negative things like this happen, you don't prevent yourself from standing up for what you believe in and continue to do similar things again in the future.
Which is what I did again today, in this blog post. :)
It just "seems" that way. I'm not offended.
Alright. For a moment I thought it was not worth taking all the risks for the gain of the others. ;-)
The gain of others can be the gain of yourself too in the long run.
If injustices are corrected it ends up being a better place to live for everyone.