However, there are times that I wonder what I will say when I stand before God and he says, "What did you do about this?" Or, someday, Juliet, our granddaughter may ask me "What did you do when this was happening?"
In both cases I don't want to stammer and say, "Nothing." At the very least I want to be able to say I spoke up - I took a side - I took a stand. I believe that God calls me to be a man of honor and sometimes honor requires getting off the fence on one side or the other.
There is poem written by Martin Niemoller, a German pastor, that captures what I'm feeling:
- "In Germany, they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
- And then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
- And then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
- And then... they came for me... And by that time there was no one left to speak up."
I picked Saturday because I know that is usually a low day for blog readership because, rightfully so, people have better things to do.
So, if you see the Saturday post title is 'Saturday Voice' and you're not interested in what I have to say, you know you can skip it and you won't hurt my feelings. I'm doing this as much for me as for any other reason. So, here's what's on my heart today.
Why are we silent? In Tehran, Iran, thousands upon thousands of young people are protesting, and, in some cases, bleeding and dying for their freedoms.To date, President Obama has either been silent or has made statements that sound as if he supports the totalitarian regime and not the freedom protesters.
In the 1980's when the Polish were protesting against their Soviet-backed regime for their freedoms, President Reagan made it clear that he, and through his words the US, stood solidly in support of those protesters who risked their lives for their freedoms. Today, Poland is a different country because of his support.
I will not begin to guess the President's motives, but I am disappointed in his silence for he represents me and, I suspect, millions of others who want to take a stand for people who are fighting for their freedom.
Why are we silent!
(Update: President Obama's staff released a statement this afternoon that's better than what has been said before. However, I wish he had given a personal statement instead of a press release.)
6 comments:
I'll try to have a voice with you, my friend. It is easier said then done ~
Amen to this post. My husband and I wonder as well, and we worry...
I can't imagine what it would be like to be President of the US. If he says one thing people protest, if he says another other people protest. But I believe Obama is doing his best. I truly do.
My understanding is that the last time we were significantly involved in Iranian politics it was to support the Shah (King) over the more-democratic but less-American-friendly Iranian leadership that was already in place. So we could get oil, of course. The Shah crashed and burned and our credibility with him. Since then, anything we say, or anyone we support, is automatically wrong in the eyes of the Iranians whether they agree with us ideologically or not. Someone with more life experience than I have may remember more firsthand information. Anyway, with that in mind, Obama may be trying to stay out of it so he won't hurt the cause of the people who are trying to be heard. If he did step up with strong support for anyone, they would automatically be uncool in Iran and lose the support of anyone that is on the fence.
I am so awed and filled with hope by the bravery and resolve of the people protesting in Iran, in the end, only the Iranians can fix their government, really, and maybe they are ready to do it. I hope that our own revolution is an inspiration to them. I do hope that if they ask for help, we are ready, just as the French were there to help us... when we asked for it.
I do think I read somewhere that the Obama administration asked Twitter to delay an upgrade so that the Iranians could continue to use it without any interruption. So, maybe there's some behind the scenes stuff. Who knows.
I'm not particularly informed enough to have a discussion, and I could be way off, but maybe a little research into our support for the Shah and the fallout from that could lead to some answers.
Wow, April! She sounds like she knows her stuff.
I couldn't begin to speak to this. But, I can tell you that I will very much enjoy reading what you have to say. I respect your opinions very much and feel I have a lot to learn. (Like this for instance--I don't watch news and don't know much about nada!)
Oh! I love that quote...how true and so powerful and thought provoking, too.
I think many of us are afraid of speaking our minds and taking a stand for anything for fear of being attacked. We have all been brainwashed about being 'politically correct' and tolerant of all people, that we now can't even speak up about anything.
If we speak out against Obama we must be racist. If we speak out in support of marriage only being a man and a woman, we must hate gay people. If we speak out for our beliefs in our own religion, we are being disrespectful of other religions. If we speak out against the injustices of women and children in other countries, we are accused of trying to control the world while imposing our own lifestyles on other people.
It's a lose, lose situation. We are quickly losing our rights and freedoms to speak up and out for what is right and true.
~Lisa
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