Iranians across the globe unite in call for freedom
On Sept. 16, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl, slipped into a coma in the Islamic Republic of Iran and died. Mahsa was beaten brutally by the morality police. Her fatal crime was letting her hair peek through her hijab, a deep form of disobedience in the Islamic dictatorship. This tragedy ignited a flame with unarmed women on the frontlines.
Far from the motherland, Iranians now reside in the land of the free and home of the brave. But I felt like a coward. As I watch the news, I see a 21-year-old reveal her hair, snap her last social media video, and protest for her right to womanhood, only to be shot in the stomach and bleed to death. I felt sick. At the same time, Iranians in Atlanta paint their signs and congregate to show solidarity. I find myself asking, can you protest a government across the sea?
After reflecting on the crowds in Atlanta and around the world and seeing the violence sweeping the streets and teenagers in Iran, I realize that social movements are alive. Similar to a body, they are intrinsically connected and each formation has a role to play. Iranians in the United States do have a part to play, as they live in a country where they have a voice, freedom and power.
AHZIN BAHRAINI, PH.D. CANDIDATE, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
Decline in American society is frightening
We are seeing a major decline in our society. The ideals of right vs. wrong and good vs. bad are declining. The prevailing idea now is to do whatever you can get away with (which is almost anything). When we see young people ransacking a store, they clearly have not been taught the basic fundamentals of right and wrong. Police would not even be needed if respect for others was instilled at an early stage. This is frightening for the future of our country.
ROBERT STOCKDALE, CUMMING
