Neda of Iran: freedom of speech and the right to feel safe

June 24, 6:57 AMWichita Women's Community ExaminerRebecca Siebert

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They say that a picture can say a thousand words. What about a video? The video of Nada Agha Soltani being unjustly shot by one of the Basij (Iran’s Revolutionary Guards) went around faster than the shot heard around the world During the American Revolutionary War and WWI. Not only is this video making a ripple in her own country, but around the world.
Let’s set the stage. Neda (whose name means “voice” in Farsi) stepped out of the car for a breath of fresh air and to observe the protest of the election results. Little did she know that the large crowd was running away from the Basij that was trying to control the rioters with guns, tear gas and Billy clubs. One second she was taking a breath of fresh air the next she was laying on her back with blood splattered on the pavement under her.

If you see the video the most amazing thing about her is her expression. As people rush to her aid she gently looks up to the camera with a completely calm look on her face. There is no wildness, no fear, no alarm or no panic. It was as if she knew that if she freaked out impact her death would make. Then the blood rushes out of her mouth and her eyes breaking the moment. If you watch the video it seems so surreal.

What does that mean to us here in the United States? It means that we are blessed to be protected by laws that give us the freedom of speech and the freedom from having to live in fear. Neda’s American counterparts were able to demonstrate in her honor without the fear of being attached by tear gas or worrying about if their last breath was their last. Protestors here in America were holding up signs that said “I am Neda”, holding up pictures that were recapturing her death, and wearing green to represent Mir-Hossein Mousavi of the Independent Reformist party. The American demonstrators were more than likely surrounded by an army made of the media (reporters and photographers) than an army supported by the government with guns and tear gas.

The freedom of speech also gives the American people and the media the right to broadcast whatever they want to just as long as it is true without the government interfering. We are blessed we to have a media system set up that allows us to tell the
“ whole truth” and gives the people the right to know even if it may “damage” the reputation of our government. Unlike the Iranian government blocking certain truths and controlling the media so that they can “sugar coat the truth” and just how much information they want their people to know. We are very lucky that whoever loaded that footage onto You Tube did it before the Iranian government sized it.

On a small scale this reminded me when I was in high school and the LA Riots. Rodney King was brutally attacked by some cops and it was caught on video. The African Americans of LA rioted in protest of the verdict .I remember it as if it was yesterday Innocent civilians, including a Caucasian truck driver, were hurt badly. I went to a high school that was balanced equally racially with Caucasians, Hispanics and African Americans. For a couple of days during the LA Riots it was like walking on egg shells. There were even rumors that they may even shut down the school to prevent violent riots. Instead the next day half of the student body stood hand-in-hand of all races by the flag pole in a show of unity. To show Topeka, Kansas, the United States and the world that no matter what our skin color was we were to respect each other no matter what. That we would not let the ripple effect of mistrust, discrimination and violence affect our school. We would stand together as one.

I believe that we as Americans take freedom of speech for granted. The pro-lifers took advantage of it when they protested in front of Dr. Tiller’s clinic. Later NOW (National Organization of Women) used it also. There are some, like Fred Phelps, that abuse it. Then there are writers like me that don’t have to live in fear of having my home raided, my writing confiscated and perhaps me jailed for what I have to say. Unfortunately it took the life of an innocent girl for me to realize that I consider myself blessed to have the right of freedom of speech and the right not to live in fear and that I am proud to be an American.