seal | The right to express yourself

Is a highly potent way to develop new thoughts, and to expand your own ambitions. In most cases it starts with the words, a ramble, a debate, a discussion - even if it is a total wank orgy has the definite potential to lead to development inside a person. Of cause in some debates you have to wade through a lot of shit, and you can find yourself in a totally cynical/idealistic/rage-filled or bullshitting wank. But still, even that has a high potential of leading to something, even if it's not this week or even month.

The question was raised on a list called Dear_Islam, about what the ppl expressing opinions ever have done for the world, to make them feel so special (to actually have the right to argue, as I understand it). I don't embrace that attitude anymore, but I feel obligated to at least ponder the question anyway.

I give money to Amnesty and Greenpeace (and sometimes to local causes)We don't have many beggars in this country, but those that I run into always get a piece of my wallet (most ppl on my friends list are RL friends, and some of them smirk when reading this, I'm sure..)

I have walked in some anti fascist demonstrations, the one I remember most is a big one in Hamburg 3 years ago. It was a protest march against a demonstration that skins and neo nazis had arranged. We outmarched them with thousands of ppl! But to be honest I am scared shitless of being taken by the police. This happened once when I was very young (no big deal, they just phoned my parents and kept me for a few hours), but the mere thought of big uncontrolled crowds and having my id taken away brings out cold sweat in me.

I have been active in an Amnesty group for many years. We were a tight little cell once, writing many letters and raising money for the cause. We arranged art exhibitions and poetry evenings for Amnesty, and I think we did well in our own small context. There were powerful moments of reality, such as when you could actually exchange letters and thoughts with the families of those victims that you pleaded for. A case I remember most is an Iranian girl my own age, who got sentenced to jail just for reading a "blasphemous" writing from a wall on her way to school. She got 10 years, and was raped as well. Today she's out. We never did accomplish anything except this: Nanna, the Iranian girl in my Amnesty group managed to create a link between her, me and that girl. The three of us exchanged a few thoughts. That was all. But her case got known, she was our special case for a fund raising Amnesty evening.

It is not much, but I learned that sometimes, for people in great hardship, just knowing that others more happily situated ones in other parts of the world see what's going on and get affected by this, make a small, but distinct difference.

It is certainly good to try as much as one can. But if you don't have to, it is not likely you will do it because some one points you in some direction and says that you should or must. I think a debate, a ramble or a free speach wank has more potential to induce action.