I have been following the Iran Election aftermath with intense interest. We've all seen the horrific videos and pictures of protesters being beaten by Mad Max style, 2 to a motorcycle, baton wielding thugs and even some masked men dressed completely in black. There have been shootings documented as well - the victims leaving pools of blood as they are carried away by fellow protesters.
And yet, the people keep protesting.
I have been watching all this and asking myself what I would do in a similar situation. Impossible to know of course but in theory, I wonder if the support I feel so strongly in my heart for the peaceful protesters of Iran would cross over to actual boots-on-the-ground support if I found myself in similar circumstances.
I cherish my right to vote. I absolutely expect my vote to be counted along with everyone else's. And I truly believe that peaceful change can be effected in government through free and fair elections.
So what would I do if I felt that my vote had not been counted? If the peaceful change I was seeking was stolen from me and my fellow citizens? Would I be willing to take to the streets in protest like the Iranians are doing right now?
I have to admit, I'd be scared. Not only would I be frightened of the physical consequences of possibly being beaten, teargassed, shot with a rubber bullet or potentially even killed, I'd be scared of the atmosphere. I can't imagine participating in a peaceful protest while government sponsored thugs terrorized the masses. Suddenly my reality would have to shift to include brutal street violence as an accepted fact. So would I go? Honestly, I don't know.
But knowing myself, I'd have to do something. Maybe I'd be on Twitter, gathering and disseminating news. But even then, there are risks. Reports indicate that Iranian censors have been tracking bloggers and Tweeters and arresting them. I would be very intimidated at the thought of being locked up in the regime's prison system. So again, I can't honestly say what I would do in such a situation. I hope I would do something useful.
What would you do?