Freedom of Speech

If What you're Living For Isn't Worth Dying For, Then Why Are You Doing It?

WEP Challenge August 2021.

This was a real challenge for me - my first attempt to write the full 1000 words and not a poem! I made it... 1000 words exactly! Such a great topic as so many before us have written great things to do with freedom. It was an opportunity for me to pay homage to some of my greatest heroes. I hope you enjoy it...

Freedom of speech

 

Dare I do it? Dare I not?

This is the cumulation of all that I have lived for, all that I have risked.

He thought shortly of Sarai and wondered again if it had all been worth it. The pain, the sacrifice. She had been a woman of rare qualities, soft but strong. Not afraid to stand up for women’s rights. To speak out. That had cost her dearly.

My hero would say “No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they’d die for” (1). I’ll use that in my speech later. Martin Luther King Jr. - Now there was a man who knew why he was here on this earth, a man who inspired others to action, a man who stood firm for his convictions and stood tall against the massive injustices of his time, a man who was... martyred. His thoughts trailed off…

 

The dreadful doubt haunted him. What if they won’t listen? What if I lose everything, to no avail? Come on man, it’s worth the risk. Be true to yourself.

The situation in Kabul was devastating. Everyone ran in fear. Even the staunchest supporters were gone - fleeing like chickens being chased by a fox. Someone must surely try to stand against this new wave of terror. Someone. Anyone. And in his trembling heart he knew, I am that man.

He looked again at the new Indian built Parliament in Kabul and knew that he must go there. Must stand up, must say the words that the One had given him. I have no choice.

 

With weary legs he dragged his body towards the make shift podium. Some men were gathering, as they had always done, at sunset. Expectancy was in the air. Expectancy tinged by great fear. They were all risking everything by just being there. But he was their leader. He must be filmed. Must be seen. On him fell the lot. Speak now or forever hold your peace.

The steps to the high place were like walking to the guillotine. How many had taken such steps before him?

Concentrate man…

 

Then, as if another was speaking through him, he looked in the camera lens and raised his voice:

“Fellow countrymen. For a while we lived free, free to walk, talk and live, give and receive, even breath unrestrained by others. Free as a bird. But no longer. Evil forces have taken over our beloved land, even this city of Kabul. What are we going to do about it? Just stand by and let them?

Gary Haugen, human rights lawyer wrote “Justice is doing for others what we would want done for us” (1). Why would Mr. Haugen write this if justice pervaded everywhere today.

Why bother to say this if all are treated equally? He is a modern abolitionist, a present day William Wilberforce and of course in William’s times the poet’s rhymes didn’t speak of justice.

Is Gary persuaded by a mightier force, that of course we experience injustice today? For "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere“ (2).

So when we turn on our TV and see white lording over black people, rich abusing poor, or in our country, men suppressing and raping women and one faith forcing another to their knees, then we need no more evidence.

            If we don’t stand up, stand in the breach

                        Then each one of us is guilty.

            No one needs to teach us

                        No one needs to impeach us.

            We are guilty as charged, for doing absolutely nothing.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” (3).

            That’s not a choice, not our way

                        To procrastinate all the day.

            We must stand up as others before

                        We must find our voice and kick down the door.

“In the truest sense,

            freedom cannot be bestowed;

                        it must be achieved” (4).

            In other words freedom’s a workload

                        It can’t be begged or stolen or owed

            It must be earned and fought for and won

                        Without a fight, the battle is done.

 

But others show us a more passive way.

They impress us greatly by what they say

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others” (5).

Such high ambitions, me oh my

If I were to achieve this before I die

I would be truly happy. How about you?

“No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they’d die for” (2). Therefore, if what you're living for isn’t worth dying for, why are you doing it? What is life worth without conviction, without integrity? Then we are all but hollow shells.            

I believe that the greatest hero of our times was a small humble woman dedicated to a life serving others in Calcutta. My last two quotes pay respect to this amazing woman.

“The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway“ (6).

“Peace begins with a smile“ (6).

            I think she was on to something.

Men of Kabul, let us stand together and “… all went black.

 

 

 

1. Gary Haugen (Born 1963) CEO, Founder and former President of the International justice Mission (IJM). A lawyer, he and IJM fight poverty and every year free thousands of modern day slaves world wide.

2. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) A freedom fighter, abolitionist, and fighter for all things just and human. A martyr.

3. Edmund Burke (1729-1797) Irish born British Politician for the Whig party. He was ultra conservative and against the French Revolution and the slave trade.

4. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) President of the USA 1933-1945

5. Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). Activist, revolutionist and the first black politician of his native South Africa. He stood against apartheid and fostered racial reconciliation. He served 27 years in prison (1962-1990)

6. Mother Teresa (1910-1997) is honored by the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta

 

 

Carole Stolz © August 2021

(Word Count 1000)