Stand Up And Fight For Your Rights

Roger Cohen, from Tehran:

I looked up through the smoke and saw a poster of the stern visage of Khomeini above the words, “Islam is the religion of freedom.”

Speaking of that, here's Monday Music for you: The Tom Robinson Band with what's still one of the finest fighting songs, Power in the Darkness [click that link to listen to the song]. It talks of England, but it works just as well for what's going on with the government crackdown on protesters in Iran:

Power in the darkness
Frightening lies from the other side
Power in the darkness
Stand up and fight for your rights

(Voice from The Other Side:) "Today, institutions fundamental to the British system of Government are under attack: the public schools, the house of Lords, the Church of England, the holy institution of Marriage, even our magnificent police force are no longer safe from those who would undermine our society, and it's about time we said 'enough is enough' and saw a return to the traditional British values of discipline, obedience, morality and FREEDOM.

Freedom from the reds and the blacks and the criminals
Prostitutes, pansies and punks
Football hooligans, juvenile delinquents
Lesbians and left wing scum
Freedom from the niggers and the Pakis and the unions
Freedom from the Gipsies and the Jews
Freedom from leftwing layabouts and liberals
Freedom from the likes of YOU!"

Power in the darkness
Frightening lies from the other side
Power in the darkness
Stand up and fight for your rights

Comments

[Munichmaedchen]

What about the freedom of Mormons who get harrassed in front of their churches because they happen to support Prop 8 based on their religious beliefs? What about the freedom of Afrian American Conservatives whose houses get trashed and tagged with "WhiteWash" paroles? What about the freedom of a 14 year old girl who gets publicly traumatized by a left leaning media and approval of their viewers because her mother happen to be Sarah Palin? What about the freedom of being pro life and against war - period - simply against killing without political agenda? What about the freedom of thinking different in a liberal majority? I wish somebody would write a song that would give me some answer because I lost my trust in those who claim to be pro freedom of speech in this world but don't act that way. It makes me extremely sad.

[Elkit]

Why wait for someone else to write this song? You're a writer. Why don't you write it?

As for the freedom of all the groups you quote: yes, they should also stand up and fight for their rights. And EVERYBODY needs to realize that freedom of speech means you get express your opinion peacefully. It does NOT mean that you get to shut up or shout over everybody with a different opinion, or harm them. It does NOT mean what so many people here seem to believe - that you have a right to live a life without ever encountering anything that's uncomfortable or offensive to you.

I personally like what Martin Luther said: "God gave you one mouth and two ears, therefore you should listen twice as much as you speak."

I find that a good guideline to keep in mind.

[munichmaedchen]

I would write a song but I can't sing. That's why I wrote a novel, "No Country for Hockey Moms...and Old Man Neither." I fully agree with you and Luther. After all he said that we do have one mouth to speak up when it is necessary. Listening only with two ears but never using the mouth would be looking away. I don't want my granddaughter asking me the same question I asked my German grandmother once, " Why didn't you say anything?"