Ercille I. Christmas

People Everywhere Have to Be Free
August 3, 2009

The month of July, described as the “birthday of liberty,” is at an end. Here in the US, we celebrated yet another birthday, still a Constitutional Republic, a preponderance of unelected “czars” notwithstanding. On the other side of the world millions of Iranians are struggling to be free in their own country. Today, Iran. Tomorrow?

We in the USA are experiencing much financial turmoil in our midst, especially the universe of debt in which the US finds itself mired, with our national debt escalating at warped speed. It is traumatic to wake up daily and find that your country has added another trillion to the debt, as nonchalantly as a baker throwing a few more blueberries in a batch of blueberry muffins. It is downright disconcerting to read the daily reports about yet another bank failure.

It is terrifying to read the accounts about “health care,’ with its “public option,” which translates to anyone over 65 hearing reports that they are in danger of becoming truly an endangered species, without a safety net to protect them when health “resources” become scarce. But there is a consolation prize before going to the great beyond. They will be prepared by having “Advance care planning.” In political-speak, does that mean that before you croak, make sure that you have formalized leaving all that you are worth, to your primary beneficiary, your government, with a stipend left for family members? Rest assured however that family members will also receive the same “advance care planning” packet, probably when they begin approaching 35 or so. As the resources get scarcer and scarcer, could the age for “advance care planning” become younger and younger, and the aged are “nudged” in greater numbers to just “move it along,” faster?

We are preoccupied with the danger of losing many of our freedoms, but can we pause for about five minutes and pay attention to the trampling of liberty in Iran? When I was old enough to read about Hitler’s heyday and the overtime working of his ovens, burning Jews alive, the first thought that came to mind, was how could the rest of the world let this happen, for so long? I no longer wonder. I am getting a real-time lesson in the lack of courage in too many world leaders.

“Courage” is a complex characteristic. We are not born with it. Perhaps we develop it or have it “thrust” upon us by circumstances. A still-undetermined number of Iranians, who protested the recent elections in Iran, because they felt that those elections were rigged, were exterminated by Iran’s quasi-military enforcers. Those protestors had courage thrust upon them.

I have heard those enforcers being described as chillingly similar to Hitler’s brown shirts. Whether they are similar or the same, they certainly know how to permanently silence any hints of protest. Neda of Iran was a testament to their efficiency in sucking the lifeblood out of a human being. But, snuffing her life out was a gross miscalculation. The killers placed a human face on a hitherto somewhat sterile battle over paper and ink, in the form of ballots in a botched election. Black ink on paper turned into human blood watering a city street. The world paid attention.

While Neda and her compatriots had courage thrust upon them, many of us still in the land of the living – sitting on our sofas, exercising our remote controls – do not care to “get involved.” This specifically includes many world leaders. For some, their deterrent from “getting involved” was apparently fear, that the oil from Iran would dry up. Here in the US, the Iranian “policy” wavered from “no meddling” to “don’t you ever do that again, but if you do, we won’t stop you.” That’s telling them!

Contrast that “wavering by the minute,” policy towards Iran, with the decisive rapid fire action when the then president of Honduras was hustled off to exile, wearing his pajamas. The diplomatic condemnation and missives flew. So far the citizens of Honduras are withstanding the might of America, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia. But for how long? When such heavyweights are lined up against you, you just may fold and get in line.

The protestors in Iran are learning that dictators have many friends and enablers. How many friends and enablers, in the corridors of government, have these protestors who are fighting for “free and open elections?” Not many. The president of France even did a “Pontius Pilate” on those freedom fighters, figuratively washing his hands and declaring, in essence, “the vote is in and the winner really won.” Actually that it not quite how it was phased in diplomatic-speak. In diplomatic-speak, one cannot come right out and state, “you are screwed.”

Meanwhile, as the Iranian brown shirts continued their wave of terror, our president had a much-heralded “Beer Summit.” Lots of folks saw this as a step in improving race relations in the US, a kind of “one big chug for mankind.” I see it as a practice (beer) run for diplomatic talks with Iran. Imagine this scenario. Two presidents are sitting around a table drinking beer, since “beer is good,” and the US vice president is providing the entertainment. What could go wrong? This could be the model for future summits. Let’s talk and take a swig! But in the meantime, what about the folks in Iran?

The Iranian protests go on to this day, while the supreme leaders of that country continue to clamp down on them. A clamp, of course, is a fastening device designed to hold or secure objects tightly together to prevent movement or separation through the application of inward pressure. This is what the Iranian leadership is doing in the form of physical, mental and emotional vice-like crushing. It takes leaders well versed in despotism and unhindered by emotion to deny grieving families the funerals of their choice, for family member who were slaughtered in the streets. These Iranian leaders are good at this aspect of their “job.”

To the people of Iran, I say your struggle may have been overshadowed, ignored and unheralded by some in power, but freedom lovers worldwide still see a fire for freedom burning in your hearts and we support you! Your Supreme Leaders should not be celebrating victory too quickly.