It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The recent tragedies in Iran and China have brought to mind memories of prior "revolutions" throughout recent history.
Tiananman Square, Beijing, China ,June 5,1989. This could be most closely related to the Iranian situation where people take a stand against their own government to have their voices heard and to bring about change and a more democratic view in government. On June 5,1989, as many as 2500 people were killed while protesting to have a more democratic government, to have more of a say in their own freedom. The Chinese government went and silenced them the only way they knew how, with brut violence. See Video here. Three years earlier, the ideas of freedom of speech and other democratic beliefs were being adopted by many universities in China. The students decided to pursue the teachings and were met by soldiers and military tanks to stop the protests with an ultimate violence.
Berlin, Germany, November 9,1989. After 28 years, the Berlin Wall was now being torn down as to permit free exodus to West Berlin and West Germany. The wall was erected on August 13, 1961 for the purpose of restraining many East German citizens to cross over and pursue a better quality of life in the West. In East Germany, a Communist system was established and as a result many suffered from the repression of the Communist party. As a result of the millions of people fleeing East Germany, the East was losing a significant number of skilled laborers and the economy was hurting. So the wall was built and those caught trying to escape frequently lost their lives. Although the demolition of the wall was non-violent, the situations leading up to that day were not, an estimated 200 people were killed by the wall gaurds trying to escape East Berlin. See Video here.
Although the uprising in Tiananman did not bring about the type of change as in Berlin, it was an eye opener to many whom felt the pain and sorrow for the people being surpressed in China. As for the current situations in China, Iran, and most recently Honduras, the year 2009, can become as important as 1989. The fight for freedom in these countries has captured the eyes and ears of the media in the world. Although some countries have banned all foreign media, the surge of civilian journalists and social networks has made it possible for us to see what is happening.
In an interview of Amir Akbari, born in Iran, and currently a local resident and convenience store owner in Westchester County, I seemed to have touched on a sensitive topic. I asked him how the current situation in Iran, his homeland compares to other significant events in history as Tiananman and Berlin. His response hit me hard...." I can only imagine what the citizens of Berlin were feeling when they were suddenly awarded the freedom to take a simple walk through the wall that seperated them from their own families for many years. As for the citizens of Beijing, they must have felt they were so close to the same freedom, but the force of the government was too much to overcome. Some people don't understand how Iranians have been in this horrible situation for longer than the United States of America has been in existense. The freedoms granted to the people of America have become unappreciated by many, and that hurts me most because I try to tell my family back home how I am so very gratefull to be given the freedom and oportunity to better my life here in America. Unfortunately, the elders back home refuse to think there is any other way but that in which they grew up in. They are certain that a move to a free country will not grant them freedom, but only despair, and they have had more than their share of that in their lives. In China, as in Iran, there will be a revolution of unimaginable proportions. We are all living in dangerous, but very exciting times. The voice of the people needs to be heard, and eventually it will, hopefully in a peacefull manner."
In all this coverage of the situation in Iran, China, and Honduras, it brings to mind a quote : "Dr. Martin Luther King
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"
