Iran: Hell On Earth
I wonder if our young people (not serving) are capable of this kind of bravery?
Twitterers are focusing especialy on protests in Baharestan Square where a young girl is believed to have been shot. Various Twitterers have said that police were waiting for protestors with guns and were shooting protestors “like animals”, others have spoken of a “massacre”. Helicopters with machine guns are also said to be flying over the square, although there are no reports of the machine guns being used on protestors. However many protestors are said to be suffering from broken bones and limbs after being attacked by security forces.
We’ll never know if a coherent response from our administration may have changed all of this by suporting these people from Day One instead of worrying how we would look.
The following is an account published in the UK Guardian from a med student in Iran…
I only want to speak about what I have witnessed. I am a medical student. There was chaos at the trauma section in one of our main hospitals. Although by decree, all riot-related injuries were supposed to be sent to military hospitals, all other hospitals were filled to the rim. Last night, nine people died at our hospital and another 28 had gunshot wounds. All hospital employees were crying till dawn. They (government) removed the dead bodies on back of trucks, before we were even able to get their names or other information. What can you even say to the people who don’t even respect the dead. No one was allowed to speak to the wounded or get any information from them. This morning the faculty and the students protested by gathering at the lobby of the hospital where they were confronted by plain cloths anti-riot militia, who in turn closed off the hospital and imprisoned the staff.
The extent of injuries are so grave, that despite being one of the most staffed emergency rooms, they’ve asked everyone to stay and help–I’m sure it will even be worst tonight. What can anyone say in face of all these atrocities? What can you say to the family of the 13 year-old boy who died from gunshots and whose dead body then disappeared?
This issue is not about cheating (election) anymore. This is not about stealing votes anymore. The issue is about a vast injustice inflected on the people. They’ve put a baton in the hand of every 13-14 year old to smash the faces of “the bunches who are less than dirt” (government is calling the people who are uprising dried-up torn and weeds). This is what sickens me from dealing with these issues. And from those who shut their eyes and close their ears and claim the riots are in opposition of the government and presidency!! No! The people’s complaint is against the egregious injustices committed against the people.
And our president was “moved”.
June 24th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
I wonder if our young people (not serving) are capable of this kind of bravery?
i wonder if a non-american stole an election to be president of the US, what would the citizens of the united states of america do?
oh, sorry.
let me re-phrase.
i wonder if a non-american stole an election to be president of the US, what would the citizens of the country formerly known as the united states of america do?
June 24th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Only speaking for myself, we have become too soft as people. I don’t have a clue what it is like to take on a power and look death in the face. I remember being 16 and watching the Iran hostage situation take place. To think that the Iranian people have gone through 30 yrs of religous extremist nutbags is hard to fathom. One thing the people of Iran have going for them, despite what happens here, is that 60-70% of the population is under 30. Revolutions need young people and they have the world and video on their side. Dictatorships will have harder times hiding their carnage nowadays. I can only imagine what goes on in N. Korea and,yes, China. The more you use power and coercion to hold on, the more the population becomes like a snarling dog on a chain that has been teased too much. You had better hope that chain don’t break!
June 24th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Freedom’s just another word for nuthin’ left to lose…
June 24th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Bob hit it right. We have thousands of very brave people all serving over seas at high risks. Also I would add the people in the Peace Corp, Red Cross… Many of us, myself included, have become fat soft old people BUT, our future is full of brave strong people. I, personally, am putting my faith in them and think they will over come the MORONS that helped put the cult of personality into office.