I am proud to live where I live. I am proud to be able to say what I feel like saying, when I feel like saying it. I can blog openly about my government and have the opportunity to disagree with the President of the United States if I want to. I have the right to tell my state representatives what I want in my community, tell them what laws I feel are important to me. I can complain when things seem to be going wrong, in my opinion.
If you live in Egypt you cannot blog about many of these things. You cannot tell your readers the things that are happening for fear of being jailed.
If you live in Zimbabwe, you cannot know the truth, because the state runs the television stations, the newspapers the radio and only for the brave people who tell the truth and live in fear of being caught, can you hear the truth.
In Iran, journalists who reported prisoner abuse were jailed. They stood up for human rights, and were jailed. They are being accused of "heresy" which carries the death penalty, "disrupting public order", and "propagation against the regime" which have penalties ranging from public lashing to long prison terms. As of March,2010 I ran has jailed 52 journalists. In China there are 24 in prison, in Cuba there are 22.
Today I must have my say, I want to stand tall and let the world know that every one has the right to participate in their own governance, have a say in what the needs of the people are. Everyone should know what their regime, dictator, government is up to. It is a basic human right to know what someone else plans to do with your future!
Here are some of the journalists who have been killed since 1992 for speaking the truth!
Kommersant
Russia
Al-Arabiya
Iraq
Midland News and DXKR
Philippines
Cameroon Express
Cameroon
Reuters
Thailand
Télévision Togolaise
Angola
April 24, 2010, in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
April 24, 2010, in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
April 22, 2010, in Yaoundé, Cameroon
April 17, 2010, in Orakzai, Pakistan
April 16, 2010, in Quetta, Pakistan
April 10, 2010, in Bangkok, Thailand
February 13, 2010, in Beni Qais, Yemen
January 10, 2010, in an area near Nawa, Afghanistan
January 9, 2010, in Cabinda province, Angola
January 8, 2010, in Saltillo, Mexico
April 24, 2010, in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
April 24, 2010, in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
April 22, 2010, in Yaoundé, Cameroon
April 17, 2010, in Orakzai, Pakistan
April 16, 2010, in Quetta, Pakistan
April 10, 2010, in Bangkok, Thailand
February 13, 2010, in Beni Qais, Yemen
January 10, 2010, in an area near Nawa, Afghanistan
January 9, 2010, in Cabinda province, Angola
January 8, 2010, in Saltillo, Mexico
April 26, 2010, in an area outside Lagos , Nigeria
April 5, 2010, in Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo
March 26, 2010, in Catacamas, Honduras
March 26, 2010, in Catacamas, Honduras
March 19, 2010, in Montería, Colombia
March 14, 2010, in Tocoa, Honduras
March 12, 2010, in Chilpancingo, Mexico
March 11, 2010, in La Ceiba, Honduras
March 1, 2010, in Janakpur, Nepal
March 1, 2010, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Jamim Shah, Channel Nepal and Space Time Network
February 8, 2010, in Kathmandu, Nepal
January 29, 2010, in Ayutla de los Libres, Mexico
January 2010, in Los Mochis, Mexico
January 5, 2010, in Sofia, Bulgaria
1 comment:
You are right, we often forget just how little freedom the press has in many countries. I sometimes complain that the press and media give biased pictures, but that's nothing compared with other places. At least I can make the effort to find out more. Not everyone has that luxury.
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