Community Reservations on Day of Silence

Upon reading Feministing today (a blog revolving around women's issues) I encountered the short blurb about this year's Day of Silence. I checked the comments out of curiousity, hoping to see what other some experiences revolving around this day were being had by other people across the country and the world. Unfortunately, I came across many skeptics. Many people expressed their discomfort with Day of Silence. They commented on the idea that if you are able to organize this many people towards a movement, you should be telling them to speak up, rather than further silencing them. Many of the people who participate in Day of Silence are people who are experiencing the exact same silence that they are then representing. The skeptics believe that this is doing no good.

These ideas about DoS are ones I've frequently heard, and felt. As an organizer with GLSEN, the organization that sponsors and promotes Day of Silence, I am curious to know about ideas that others have about improving it.Personally, my reconciliation with Day of Silence is this:
Day of Silence is not as much about the awareness of the outside community as it is about the person who sits in silence. As a person who is incredibly vocal about my opinions and beliefs, Day of Silence is a very difficult task for me. But as we sit in our silent solidarity, WE are able to realize how this reflects those who sit in this silence every day. The other 364 days of the year, we are able to use our voices to end that silence. This is not a day of action, but a day of personal awareness and INSPIRATION for further action.

Thoughts?