Freedom of screech
December 16, 2008 · Updated 3:50 PM
I enjoyed your cartoon, “Freedom of Screech,” in the Opinion Section of the Dec. 10 issue of the Mercer Island Reporter. The artist tried to include all faiths, and I appreciated the placard reading “Try Baha’i.” The founder of the Baha’i Faith, Baha’u’llah, proclaimed, “The best beloved of all things in my sight is justice ... By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart: how it behooveth thee to be.”
For many years, Baha’i students in Iran, despite high grades and test scores, have not been allowed to enroll in college unless they registered as Muslims. Now even Baha’i children are not allowed to attend elementary school. Baha’is ask institutions such as the United Nations and individuals of conscience of all faiths to speak out on their behalf. Nonviolent action and free speech, done in a calm and constructive manner, are essential for promoting and maintaining justice.
Perhaps we can all imagine carrying a “Try Justice” placard in our hearts to guide our speech and action — and help overcome the urge to screech.
Susan Carol Price
Member of the Baha’i Faith
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