Silent majority

A silent majority is a large group of people who support something but choose not to express their opinions publicly.

This term was made popular by US President Richard Nixon in a speech he gave on November 3 1969, about the Vietnam War. Nixon said "And so tonight, to you, the great silent majority of my fellow Americans; I ask for your support." The opposite of the silent majority were a noisy minority, a small group of people, who Nixon said tried to get their way by holding demonstrations in the streets.

After World War II, many people claimed they had no idea of what was happening with the concentration camps in Nazi Germany. However, many Germans opposed but did not openly fight them.
Other websites
 The full text and an mp3 of Nixon's speech

References

Category:Politics