IRANIAN SOCIAL REVOLUTION TO THE U.S.: AMEND YOUR 2ND AMENDMENT OF YOUR BILL OF RIGHTS

JUNE 23, 2009

By

Joseph Chez

Should the U.S. Constitution be amended to protect the right of today's citizens to use and bear today's digital-electronic technology in order to defend themselves and their freedom from government infringement?

At one point in history, swords were the method of choice by tyrannical governments or kingdoms in order to suppress dissension from its people. Thus, dissidents resorted to the use of words and ideas for which swords were impotent to stop or destroy. Ergo, the argument became that the pen was mightier than the sword.

Immediately after the American Declaration of Independence in 1776, the concern turned to giving the citizenry protections from oppressive governments. Thus, in 1788 the United States Constitution was ratified which provided for many of our present rights and protections. Yet, the new nation realized the Constitution needed to be amended in keeping pace with changing times. Consequently, in 1791, the United States Constitution was amended with the Bill of Rights which included " the right of the people to keep and bear arms" and that such right could not be infringed by the government (Second Amendment). In part, the 2nd Amendment was meant to give the citizenry a right to use and bear arms in order to protect themselves and families from a potentially oppressive government. it was reasoned that by having a well regulated armed militia, the citizenry could equalize their power against the power of a potentially well armed and oppressive government.

Today however, in a 21st Century social revolution scenario, the world takes note that citizens in Iran are effectively using today's latest technology to keep informed and to inform the world of their quest for freedom. With the help of today's computer technology i.e., www., e-mail, Twitter, MySpace, and Utube, the Iranian dissidents appear to be changing today's paradigm of a social revolution in today's modern world. But more importantly, the "cell" phone, as opposed to a land line phone, is clearly the rising star of the Iranian revolution. This is because the Iranian regime has effectively blocked the world-wide web, so the young Iranian dissidents have skillfully used their cell phones to document this historic event, their efforts for freedom as well as the government's heavy hand.

And yet, there is a flaw; cell phones being used in the United States of America as well as in Iran, carry within their SIM card, mother board or memory card, special technology required by their respective government's internal security. This special tracking technology was created by Nokia-Siemens as a device to give governments the ability to control all cell phone traffic analysis. With this technology, government in the United States as well as in Iran, are able to track any and all phone conversations, intersect specific phone calls and their contacts, store information, triangulate the callers location, as well as shut down the use of cell phone transmission if necessary.

In fact, the United States federal government required this technology to be imbedded in every cell phone in this country as part of the Patriot Act. Since then, our government has been able to track and intersect your and my cell phone conversations. The danger however, is that this technology clearly "infringes" on tenets of our constitutional freedoms. Further, while we have come to depend greatly on computer technology for such things as the right of assembly, political speech, and other individual needs, such present technology appears to be today's modern tool for maintaining our freedoms. Regrettably, our government has also taken steps to take control of those freedoms - at will.

Therefore, WHEREAS, our United States Constitution is a living document, in order to maintain and protect our personal freedoms of today, it becomes necessary to amend the 2ndAmendment to include the right of citizens to own and use, without fear of persecution or interference, present digital and electronic technology, and this right will not be abridged or infringed by the local, state or federal government. .........

IRAN: WHERE IS THE UNITED NATIONS ON THIS ISSUE?

In the annals of history, Tyranny is short lived.......

The Iranian people are taking a cue from the history of struggle for freedom and will not accept less. This in response to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who gave recognition to the election results and thereby giving its blessing to Ahmadinejad as the winner. Additionally, the supreme Ayatollah also gave a stern warning to the opposition to accept the election results - or else. But reports from within Iran already report a quasi atmosphere of martial law in place.

Still, the world can only watch the events unfold in Iran from the sidelines - for now. But it should be noted that the Ahmadinejad regime and cleric stronghold on the country truly needs outside intervention to solidify their control of its people and thus justify any means to further squelch any civil unrest. Consequently, the United States of America should resist any pressure from the political right who is fervently pushing for tougher language against Iran. The Israeli government has even criticized the United States for not responding with stronger language. However, any intervention from the U.S. would be counter productive and would not help the circumstances of the Iranian people.

What is needed is for the United Nations to issue a strong declaration, warning the Iranian government, including clerics, that they will be held personally responsible for the safety of the civilian population and for the opposition leader.

In the meantime, the ayatollahs and present regime sympathizers in Iran, should head the warning of history; there is a prize to pay for freedom, but there is an even greater charge for tyrannical figures - as they usually pay with their lives.

For neo-cons in the West, who just last year were sarcastically commenting, "bomb, bomb, bomb,.. bomb, bomb Iran", their present support for the people of Iran is simply disingenuous, if not just cheap political tricks. However, the Iranian people as any other peoples of the world, deserve to be free. And regardless what finally results, your acts of bravery in the face of tyranny makes us all humble.

Joseph Chez

IRAN, AT THE MERCY OF SOCIAL REVOLUTION FOR FREEDOM

IRAN, AT THE MERCY OF
SOCIAL REVOLUTION FOR FREEDOM

By Joseph Chez

Freedom is a natural course in human events……….

Since 1979 the West has crudely and unjustifiably reviled the people of Iran as nothing more than an Islamic nation with militia types – a nation not too friendly towards the West. In fact, Iran has been so reviled, that it has been considered a pariah, if not a thorn on the side of Israel and the United States of America. The former Bush Administration so deemed and labeled the country, as one of the “axis of evil” nations of the world. Iran has further been singled out by the Anglo-American and Israeli forefront for the last two or three decades and consequently, has suffered stringent economic, social and political sanctions. The reasons for sanctions were perhaps deemed justified at one point, as the Anglo-American petroleum interests were cut off from that country. But whether justified or not, the people of Iran have been viewed by the West as being antagonistic towards democratic ideals – western style that is. Surprisingly, today, the western world is stunned by human events in this Islamic nation and is baffling the experts and its critics.

In 1979, when the Iranian people toppled Mohammad Reza, the “Shah of Iran”, a self-proclaimed king and favorable to British and American interests, the Iranian people spoke loudly and deliberately, but in an ironic twist of history, two of its 1979 revolution Islamic young students are now rivals in a quest to lead the Iranian Islamic Republic. On the ballot were two prime candidates for the presidency; one, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; the other, the rival reformist, Mir-Houssein Mousavi. This time however, the Iranian people, tired of a despot leader and a closed society, the Iranian people went to the polls en masse this last Sunday (June 13, 2009) and voted for fundamental change. Regrettably, the next day, their hopes and aspirations for change were dashed as the incumbent president was declared the winner in an election that was seen by the Iranian people as rigged.

The mass demonstrations and civil unrest by the Iranian people shows us that no nation has a monopoly or “the” cornerstone for democratic values, but rather, it is the nature of the power of the human spirit and the aspiration for freedom which brings about change. Therefore, the Iranian people have taken to the streets with demands for a fair election and not a pre-selection. The masses of discontented Iranians have therefore taken the Iranian clerics by surprised, but more so, the West is incredulous, confused, but supportive. This time, the unexpected uprising of common folk Iranians was not spurred by U.S. military special-opps, the CIA, UK’s MI6, or the Israeli Mossad. Instead, the Iranian people did not take a cue from Western ideals for democracy, but were driven by the only recourse in human events; when tyranny rules, there is a natural desire for freedom. Therefore, the Iranian people should know that they have the support of every family of nations in your quest for justice, transparency, freedom of expression, and rule of government by the consent of your people. It is your fight, you way, it is your destiny.

President Obama, you sir, also deserve much respect for your practical restraint on the outcome of the contested election, unlike the neo-cons in this country, which are currently salivating for an opportunity to take advantage of the critical situation in Iran. One can only imagine if George Bush and Chaney were at the helm of our government- presumably, in defense of our national security and that of Israel, this would be the right time in which to unleash our democratic values. Notwithstanding, the West should not confuse the Iranian social revolution as total support for your unfair foreign policy in the Middle East or sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran, for such western counter productive foreign policies only hurt those who yearn for freedom.

Intervention from the outside only seeds the next struggle for freedom.