The price of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The price of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

(Mostly opinion, to be honest.)

The last decade has been one of extraordinary change. Humans, as a species, have never been as concerned with our rights and the rights of the people around us. We slowly work to create our very own eden. This massive change in culture was brought through relentless protest, lobbying and political activism. We have learned, through painstaking trial and error, that we have to be the change we want to see. Yet, outside of the more fortunate parts of the world, this practice, this exercise of our freedom of speech, comes at a great price.

Take for an instance Mexico. A country torn by violence and plagued by an upper class with severe moral deficiency. In 2018, more than 100 journalists were violently murdered —perhaps their reporting upset a powerful drug lord, or a power drunk politician. Undeniably, Mexico’s paladins of liberty are being hunted down and mercilessly murdered. An incident that got international coverage was that of the murder of Javier Valdez Cárdenas. A prominent Mexican journalist, who was passionately dedicated to “Narcoperiodismo” or in English, Narco-journalism. Mr. Valdez was an acclaimed journalist that had won the international press freedom award. He regularly criticized and wrote about cartels and organized crime. This, Mexicans now know, was a deathly mistake. Needless to say, Mr. Valdez was found shot dead, may 15, 2017, near his office.

Another example that came to mind is that of Joshua Wong. He is a Pro-democracy campaigner, student activist, and co-founder of the Demosistō party. Demosistō advocates for democracy and determination in Chinese ruled Hong Kong. In an article he wrote for The Guardian from his prison cell, Mr. Wong explains how difficult “life at the correctional facility is… to be disconnected from the family and friends [Joshua has] fought alongside is… tremendously painful”. The article is a lamentation on the fact that Hong Kong is no longer the metropolis the world had come to know, “with freedom but without democracy”. But rather, a story of ideological warfare and resistance, slowly eaten away by Chinese authoritarianism.

Heaven on Earth is expensive. Freedom of speech is a privilege that comes at a high cost. Sometimes, it’s price is paid with our lives. Are we prepared and willing to sacrifice our safety for liberty’s sake? For some journalists this is not merely a hypothetical, but a serious question that will determine the course of their life and that of their loved ones. Such consideration begs the question: why pursue this dangerous crusade for freedom? Surely there are easier, safer ways to promote and advance just, democratic values. Could it be that we are senselessly becoming martyrs at the hands of romantic ideals? To this, I am afraid I cannot provide an answer that is either well informed or unbiased. Thus, the second best thing is my opinion.

While imprisoned in Birmingham, Dr. Martin Luther King received criticism for his participation on protests, sit-ins and marches. Dr. King was called “unwise and untimely”. Yet, in a letter (aptly) titled: Letter from Birmingham Jail, dated April 16, 1963 and addressed to “his fellow clergy men”, Dr. King writes:

“You may well ask: ’Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?’ You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored… I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths”

Us, the people, are not prone to care about an issue unless it is properly upsetting. We need to feel that a problem matters. It is the job of journalists and activists to bring this stories to us. Not only to heighten them, but to display them truthfully. Only then we can empathize and act upon our empathy. This cannot be done without creating tension between heralds and whomever would rather keep the dirt under the rug. Activism can rarely be done without upsetting someone. This confrontation should not be violent, but it has to inspire significant change. Action should be calculated, but decisive. Martin Luther, who Dr. King is named after, inspired the protestant movement. Not by rising through the clergy’s ranks or negotiation, but by nailing his Ninety-five Theses in the All Saints' Church's doors. Yes, of course Mr. Luther knew confrontation was not ideal. But unreasonable people demand unreasonable methods.

Why do we fight? Why do we keep going out to the streets, even when stared down by forces that we can’t fully comprehend?

Because we have pride.

We have dignity.

We rather go down in battle, than live a life of mediocracy.

Entropy follows us everywhere. Our world becomes more complicated every single day. Every second that injustice reigns in our world, a precedent is set. A dangerous precedent, of nepotism, racism, sexism, violence, theft, and terrorism. Every day it becomes harder to reverse it.

Yet, what are we willing to sacrifice? Our lives? Well, if Socrates was a good man and they killed him, imagine what they will do to you! Or are we giving up an alternative timeline where peace was achieved through milder means. Are we willing to sacrifice time? Dr. King could not afford to do so. Should we?

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Become a martyr, live to fight another day. It doesn't matter what you do. As long as you are helping out, we'll all be grateful.