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Why Our Attenion Matters
Jun. 20th, 2009 04:13 pmI've heard people say on Twitter and Facebook "How does wearing green or having a green icon help Iran?"
I suppose our icons aren't guns or bulletproof vests. Our prayers and messages aren't tanks or airplanes to fly them away from the danger.
But every day this week, and this very day today, people are going out there in the streets of Iran, facing their possible deaths, to stand up for their right to be free and to choose their own leader. They are afraid, they're wondering what will happen tomorrow. They're wondering if they will have their families around them by the end of the day.
This isn't just some fad, or some weak internet meme that makes people feel better about themselves. This is us, telling a people in strife and fear that THEY ARE NOT ALONE. And in the midst of terror and oppression, HOPE is the most POTENT THING IMAGINABLE.
This is a struggle of the human spirit. Human spirits need feeding, they need love, they need tenderness and compassion. If they have those things, they can withstand anything. If we let every Iranian we can communicate with know that we are with them, they won't feel so alone. They might have a little more courage to stand up and demand their rights. And every little push, every little flicker of hope, it collects and grows. Before you know it there are millions in the streets of Iran, bolstered by the knowledge that the world is watching, that their fight is not in vain. Who knows. Who knows - in the end, they might just get their freedom.
Sure, it wasn't because of the silly icons or the twitter messages alone. But if it even helps a little bit, why not do it? What have we got to lose? Not our rights. Not our freedoms. The minor inconvencience of having a green icon or a green blog. Wearing a colour that mightn't suit you much for a while. Is that so much? When people are dying in the streets for standing up for themselves, is it so much to say with a colour, "I am with them, and I believe in their rights too"?
I suppose our icons aren't guns or bulletproof vests. Our prayers and messages aren't tanks or airplanes to fly them away from the danger.
But every day this week, and this very day today, people are going out there in the streets of Iran, facing their possible deaths, to stand up for their right to be free and to choose their own leader. They are afraid, they're wondering what will happen tomorrow. They're wondering if they will have their families around them by the end of the day.
This isn't just some fad, or some weak internet meme that makes people feel better about themselves. This is us, telling a people in strife and fear that THEY ARE NOT ALONE. And in the midst of terror and oppression, HOPE is the most POTENT THING IMAGINABLE.
This is a struggle of the human spirit. Human spirits need feeding, they need love, they need tenderness and compassion. If they have those things, they can withstand anything. If we let every Iranian we can communicate with know that we are with them, they won't feel so alone. They might have a little more courage to stand up and demand their rights. And every little push, every little flicker of hope, it collects and grows. Before you know it there are millions in the streets of Iran, bolstered by the knowledge that the world is watching, that their fight is not in vain. Who knows. Who knows - in the end, they might just get their freedom.
Sure, it wasn't because of the silly icons or the twitter messages alone. But if it even helps a little bit, why not do it? What have we got to lose? Not our rights. Not our freedoms. The minor inconvencience of having a green icon or a green blog. Wearing a colour that mightn't suit you much for a while. Is that so much? When people are dying in the streets for standing up for themselves, is it so much to say with a colour, "I am with them, and I believe in their rights too"?
