Land of the Free?

[pat]

In a locked post today, a friend of mine wrote about the experiences of immigrants to this country who have suffered losses in the Iraq War. I am quoting part of his post here -- with permission -- because what he said is extremely important:

"But," she says, "what can you do?"

And here's the important part of this whole entry. Pay attention, now. "Because if I say anything, who knows, maybe I'll be disappeared."

And what could I say to that? I know that's not true. You know that's not true. We know that that doesn't happen in the United States.

But here's the thing -- even though it doesn't happen here -- she's worried that it might.
And because of that, she's not willing to protest, or organize, or speak out.

See, it's not enough that the United States merely is a place of freedom to speak. It's got to also look like one.

And it doesn't. And that's fucking scary. Because my co-workers who came to the US to escape repressive South American dictatorships are no longer talking about how much safer they feel here. No, now they're saying things like, "And America is pretty good, still. I doubt we'll get death squads for at least twenty years."

That's a lot different than how they were talking a few years back.

So, that's my point. I don't think that people are going to be smacked down for protesting, or speaking out, not really. I certainly don't think that people are going to be disappeared. No fucking way.

But the fact that someone else DOES think it's a possibility is stifling dissent. The fear doesn't HAVE to be true in order to be damaging freedom and democracy. Even though it's false, it STILL is choking democracy.

And so it's not enough that the United States DOESN'T have death squads, or secret police, or the proverbial "knock on the door in the middle of the night." We have to find a way to SHOW everyone that we don't. To PROVE that it's safe to speak out.

Because, if people don't believe that we don't have death squads even though we don't, then, well, the effect on democracy is nearly as bad as if we actually DID have them.

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[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

"...Paranoia strikes deepInto your life it will creepIt starts when you're always afraidYou step out of line, the man come and take you away..."
"For What Its Worth" as performed by Buffalo Springfield