Sunday, October 01, 2006

A nation of Eveys

Michael at Uncivil Defense said it after my post about V for Vendetta the other day:

I think it's becoming painfully obvious that we've become a nation of Evey's. Helpless and stunned are the norm for most folks, as the powers that be continue down their chosen paths.

The good news here is that, locked in her cell with all of her freedom seemingly extinguished, clinging to a scrap of journaling preserved on pieces of toilet paper, humiliated to the point where the only remaining thing her captor could do to her is take her life - and yet still unwilling to betray her friend - that is the point where her captor concedes, "You have lost your fear - now you are truly free," and releases her from the cell.

Perhaps we have become a nation of Eveys who feel helpless and stunned by the accelerating pace at which the Powers That Be are crushing the principles America supposedly stood for. This was an especially heinous week, with the passing of a bill authorizing the use of torture by U.S. government agents and equating criticism of the president with terrorism. But Evey didn't feel helpless and stunned forever.

"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." Good line. Memorable line. And true.

What could you accomplish today if you shook off your fear?

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

What could you accomplish today if you shook off your fear?
Excellent question. I think a good part of my fear in starting a few new business endeavors is that I don't know where I'll end up. Having no customers would suck, of course, but it'd also be tough if I eventually had so many it became stressful or impossible to do the work the way I want to.

But of course, that leaves that huge swath of "terrific" territory where I want to be. Can't get there without trying, though ...

2:37 PM  
Blogger lewlew said...

Terrific post! We tend to think what we do doesn't matter, that we're like the cliche, "a drop in a bucket." A bucket can fill up pretty fast, however, even when the rain drops are more drizzly than the plump, voracious rain during a storm.

We can add our voices to the other rain drops who want to flood out fascism and oppression.

4:29 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home