Freedom of Expression
As a writer, there is nothing more crucial than Freedom of Expression. Here in the United States, it is easy to take the safe, political correct route, and do whatever you can not to offend. Why alienate potential readers with polarizing statements? Or, if you are to make polarizing statements, make sure your sermon is pre-approved by your chosen choir.
Who here in the US is risking life and limb to speak truth to power? It's not like we don't have corruption in our government and our religious institutions. Our insular worlds of Right and Left, Blue and Red, allow for no real debate, no hard choices, and no true change.
A few months ago, I watched a documentary on a European activist group named FEMEN. The women of FEMEN risk arrest and beatings to protest political corruption in Eastern Europe. They single out the Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches for their cozy relationships with repressive dictatorships in Eastern Europe. Their bold statements about women's rights earned them some bullets from a terrorist last year in Copenhagen.
I'm inspired by their courage and their determination to upset the established order in favor of positive transformations.
Below is a link to a video statement of Inna Shevchenko of FEMEN, speaking on the importance of freedom of expression, and differentiating between causing physical and psychological harm vs merely offending. I invite you to check out the link and here what Shevchenko has to say. (It's in English.)
If you have the opportunity, check out the FEMEN documentary on Netflix.
https://vimeo.com/122271777
Who here in the US is risking life and limb to speak truth to power? It's not like we don't have corruption in our government and our religious institutions. Our insular worlds of Right and Left, Blue and Red, allow for no real debate, no hard choices, and no true change.
A few months ago, I watched a documentary on a European activist group named FEMEN. The women of FEMEN risk arrest and beatings to protest political corruption in Eastern Europe. They single out the Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches for their cozy relationships with repressive dictatorships in Eastern Europe. Their bold statements about women's rights earned them some bullets from a terrorist last year in Copenhagen.
I'm inspired by their courage and their determination to upset the established order in favor of positive transformations.
Below is a link to a video statement of Inna Shevchenko of FEMEN, speaking on the importance of freedom of expression, and differentiating between causing physical and psychological harm vs merely offending. I invite you to check out the link and here what Shevchenko has to say. (It's in English.)
If you have the opportunity, check out the FEMEN documentary on Netflix.
https://vimeo.com/122271777
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