Longing To Speak
Longing to speak, March, 2004
In Spain and Taiwan, the public demonstrates its views by showing up at rallies, bringing signs, speaking out against issues. In Rome, 2000 years ago, they had the forum to make speeches in. In downtown Marquette, people used to speak on the street corner. Yet we in today’s America quietly sit back, content with believing we have more freedoms than anyone else on this planet.
Why are we so inhibited–are we not to show our feelings, our passion about a particular issue? Since the right of free expression is one of our cherished freedoms, such expressions within reason should not be taboo.
Myself, I want the right to speak before my legislators and I don’t understand why it should even be a struggle to allow me this opportunity. Is there a fear by our legislators that I will do something wrong? And what is wrong? Is passion wrong? Or, perhaps they fear I will say something politically incorrect, or otherwise embarrass them by presenting a topic they don’t wish to deal with. One must ask, what kind of control is this?. Aren’t we in a free nation? Are we not supposed to or entitled to present ideas before our elected representatives? Or is that a privilege reserved for professional lobbyists? What sickness.
These questions lead me on a seeking train of thought, back in time to my youth. In the Vietnam Era, public demonstrations were everywhere. Martin Luther King was marching all over the place for civil rights, and anti-war protesters spoke out at college rallies. The fever of hope burned brightly, publicly and tumultuously, with expressions of ideals and equality for all.
Then seemingly out of nowhere, suddenly came the shocking tragedy of Kent Sate. I remember this time, although it fades to some degree. I felt a hush over our land when the news came. It was like on a wind, a wind that spread over all of America. And I mean all. A silent gasp. There knelt that woman over that dead body, and we were supposed to be free. I do not know that any TV documentary can ever do this moment justice.
The memory of that hush has seared into my brain, and nothing since has felt like that–nothing. It’s hard to explain, but Kent State did something in America. What lasting change to our national psyche was wrought by those deaths of peaceful protesters? Could this be why we no longer demonstrate, show our feelings, vigorously express our views, speak out? We have the right to show our feelings, as long as we do not hurt another, as long as we do not go crazy. As long as we are reasonable, as long as we are Americans. It seems to me, to yell at one another is non-communicative, but one can have intense communication and not yell at one another.
We must be able to speak.