#523 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Thursday December 1)
Good morning,
There are women in Iran today protesting for their rights, against all odds against a ruthless regime. From the comfort of the United States, it is sometimes difficult to appreciate why people continue their protests at great personal risk. But they live in a country that does not assure their rights and restricts their freedoms. Perhaps looking at what an American Persian woman has to say can help one appreciate the passions of those who emigrated to the United States how these passions affect their lives as Americans. Here are Melody Zaghi’s thoughts and reminders to all of us to take nothing for granted:
“I have never taken for granted the freedom I gained when my parents fled Iran and brought me here
I have never taken for granted not being forced to cover my hair
I have never taken for granted dressing how I see fit
I have never taken for granted riding a bike or driving a car
I have never taken for granted listening to any music I like and being able to dance anywhere
I have never taken for granted reading any book I want
I have never taken for granted being able to show affection to my husband in public
I have never taken for granted playing any sports I want or attending a sporting event
I have never taken for granted being able to choose what I want to study
I have never taken for granted for being able to choose my career
I have never taken for granted practicing my religion or not
I have never taken for granted voting
I have never taken for granted making my own decisions about my body and health
I will never take for granted that my children don’t have to live through a war and have their basic human rights be protected
And I don’t take for granted being able to make this painting and saying these words without fear of persecution or even death
Yet I am not in denial about how fragile these rights are…. I am not ignorant about the history of this world and how these rights can easily be taken away
Only few months ago I shed tears when Roe v. Wade was overturned thinking, ‘Will I face what my mom faced in Iran here?’ Will my children become an immigrant somewhere else like I did and go through that trauma just so they can have basic rights?
I know that hearing about what is happening in Iran might seem unrelated to you today, but remember months before Roe v. Wade was overturned, we assumed what was happening in Texas had nothing to do with the rest of the US..…now living in CA we might think we dodged the bullet living in a blue state, but we have not dodged anything. If someone’s rights are being taken away in anywhere, it will eventually affect you!!!!
Please know that women’s rights/ human rights SHOULD NOT have borders, SHOULD NOT care about your religion, race, sex or any other attributes.
DON’T TAKE FOR GRANTED THE FREEDOMS YOU HAVE; INSTEAD, USE IT TO BE THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SILENCED AROUND THE WORLD. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE USE SOCIAL MEDIA AS A PLATFORM FOR CHANGE FOR THE BETTER, NOT WORSE.”
Have a great day,
Glenn
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