Friday 4 April 2008

Memphis, Tennessee - Christiania

Today it is 40 years since Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn. "A riot is the language of the unheard", he said. Riots we've got numerous of, by now: "Hear us!"

According to the authorities, we live in a democracy. A democracy is characterized by its respect for EVERYBODY. Since the authorities in this country are so proud of (or should I say: self-satisfied with?) representing a (-n alleged) democratic government, that they, recently, even felt a call to publish a canon of democracy, isn't it time to translate democracy into action? Isn't it time to start and listen to EVERYBODY, instead of threatening people (in a rather totalitarian way) to keep quiet and toe the line??

"It's completely all right and correct, how the police acts. The young people have to pull themselves together, and go about their school and jobs, and stop thinking, that they can establish a parallel society based on their own values", says Kim Andersen, spokesman of legal affairs, member of the ruling right-wing party Venstre, here about the latest riots at Christiania. In other words: Shut up, forget about your ideals and dreams, and look to it that you become hard-workingly producing and consuming - and tax paying! - stupid sheep, just like everybody else! (So that Denmark also in future may be able to play war games, and participate in ruining life for millions of people worldwide. Yeah.)

Yah, well, the thing is, that it needs thoughtfulness to listen to EVERYBODY, to respect EVERYBODY, to consider EVERYBODY's needs and wants. Without doubt, it is far easier to rule a homogenous flock of stupid sheep, than to consider EVERY need in a diverse society consisting of independently thinking individuals.

"Rarely do we find men, who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think", Martin Luther King, Jr. also said.

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