Independence, Liberty, Freedom

Today is Independence Day in Uganda. Fifty-three years ago the British government gave up its colonial hold on this “Pearl of Africa”. This got me thinking about what independence means, how it relates to freedom and liberty. So being curious I looked it up!

Independence: the time when a country or region gains political freedom from outside control

Freedom:   enjoying civil and political liberty, not subject to the control or domination of another;  made, done, or given voluntarily or spontaneously, not bound, confined, or detained by force.

Liberty:  the quality or state of being free:  the power to do as one pleases;  freedom from physical restraint;  freedom from arbitrary or despotic control;  the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges;  the power of choice

So while independence is a good thing to celebrate, political freedom from outside control; more important is liberty. Because being independent does not guarantee liberty. Social, political, and economic rights being absent, does it matter if a country is independent if its people are without liberty? The ability to travel outside its borders, the ability to receive an education and healthcare, the ability to use their voice without fear of arrest, the ability to disagree and demand change, are all necessary  for the people who make up the very fabric of a country to enjoy independence. One step at a time.  Enjoy the thoughts of others on the subject of Liberty! (remember all quotes should always be read in their full context).

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
― Benjamin Franklin, Memoirs of the life & writings of Benjamin Franklin

“People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.”
― Søren Kierkegaard

“Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves” --  Abraham Lincoln

“What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or in the holy name of liberty or democracy?”
― Mahatma Gandhi

 “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”
― George Orwell

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
― Nelson Mandela

 “Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.”
― Henry David Thoreau

“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.”
― Thomas Jefferson

“Freedom is not something that anybody can be given. Freedom is something people take, and people are as free as they want to be”
― James Baldwin

“I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

“People have only as much liberty as they have the intelligence to want and the courage to take.”
― Emma Goldman

“The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end.”
― Leon Trotsky, Their Morals and Ours

“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.”
― Napoléon Bonaparte

“A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?”
― George Washington

“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.”
― Thomas Paine

 “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
― Patrick Henry

“I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves ; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.”
― Thomas Jefferson, Letters of Thomas Jefferson

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
― Audre Lorde

“Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.”
― George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.
[Inaugural Address, January 20 1961]”
― John F. Kennedy

“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.”
― James Madison

“A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. ... A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa, and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say, "This is not just." It will look at our alliance with the landed gentry of South America and say, "This is not just." The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

“A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.”
― John Adams, Letters of John Adams, Addressed to His Wife

“A right delayed is a right denied.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of Liberty.”
― Thomas Jefferson

Rumpole and Yoda: When there really is no “law”...and a rant.

Warning references to old British  and American TV and movies, are coming; in addition to frustrating and sad moments.

Go get a cup of coffee or maybe a glass of wine…this is a long one, but please try to read it all…

I had the opportunity to sit in high court yesterday.  While the courtroom itself is very basic, long tables, long benches, lots of microphones that don’t work and the crest of Uganda on the wall above the high court judge, who by the way was wearing some kind of Japanese Kimono robe?? Maybe he just likes red and wanted to add some color to what would be one of the longest days I have had in many, many years.

So judge dressed like Asian Yoda, attorneys dressed like they watched too many Rumpole of the Bailey episodes, sans wigs, and the prisoners dressed, well, like everyone else in the room. Oh I should mention that every case, except the one I am there to see is a defilement case (for the Americans, read rape…of a child).

First case is called, and it is to determine if the statement the accused (and yes they pronounced it achused…all frigging day!) had been signed under duress. Here is where it gets a bit frustrating. This is how justice works here. Someone, anyone, can have you arrested on their word only. You can be held for two days without being charged with any crime. During the two days you are locked in a cell maybe 6x10 with up to 15 other accused people. No toilet, no bedding. Twice a day you are “paraded” in the yard where you are questioned, and questioned, and beaten to try to “get the truth”. Ok so maybe that is some of the sad part. Finally, this accused, was taken to a room with only one officer (he was not allowed to have a witness…that is actually the law) where he apparently made his confession and was cautioned (given his rights to remain silent…there is no right to have an attorney, a witness, a friend, someone, anyone).

So State Attorney calls Detective (fat old man dressed like mobster in Florida). Takes him through the sequence of events that led to the taking of the statement…in painstaking slowness… even having him read the statement and show us all where everyone had signed. Then detective is cross examined by the defense attorney who asks exactly the same questions…not exaggerating here, which again includes him identifying the document and signatures. We are now one hour into this…the best is yet to come. It goes back to the State Attorney who, and I am not making this up, asks exactly the same questions again- starting with his name, rank, how long on the job…and yes having him once more read and identify the signatures on the statement. Hour two is gone…there are 8 more guys waiting to have their cases heard.

Then the accused is taken through the whole question, cross process except he is only asked to identify his signature. Oh and did I mention that court is in English, the accused is Acholi (who spoke and understood English) but had to wait to have all questions translated to Luo and then all his answers (even when he answered in English, his lawyer told him to answer in Luo) had to be translated to the court. As hour three is moving on, the judge finally rules that the statement is admissible and then offers the accused the opportunity to give his defense---literally his side of the court case! Hour three gone. Finally about halfway through that painfully slow question, translate, answer, translate, pause for everyone to write it all down long hand….the judge decides to hear the rest another day and the accused is excused.

My butt now is sore. Ok case number two….don’t remember, my brain stopped working because I am hungry and so appalled by the lack of preparation by the attorneys...who all appear to have been hung over and who clearly had not looked at the files until that minute in court.

Hour four…gone Lunchtime. Sad part coming….

Back in court the first case called is aggravated defilement. So defilement is sex with anyone under the age of 18, and aggravated defilement is sex with a child under the age of 10 while infected with HIV. The judge starts to read…the entire trial transcript…which would have been laughable except that he began with “there are four things that have to be proven for aggravated defilement” 1. Child was under 10 2. The assault happened. 3. The accused is HIV positive and 4. That it was the accused who did the assaulting. “the child was eight, the defilement took place, the accused is HIV positive, so it is the last requirement that must be determined.” The penalty for this crime is death. Yes, an eight year old girl was raped by a 30 something year old man who was not only HIV positive, but knew that he was HIV positive…this happened in 2012.

One hour later after we had been treated to a really bad episode of Criminal Minds read out in court, and while the accused stands, blank faced, it is recommended by the “advisors” that the judge find the accused guilty of the aggravated defilement.n I am not sure what their qualifications are, but all along I thought they were the court reporters (there are only two and they kept switching out with another two),  Judge then sets another date for the accused to receive his judgement—so not really sure what the purpose of that whole production was?? I should mention that while the judge was reading about the achused he also kept talking about the “prostitution” and I spent a great deal of horrified time trying to figure out what prostitutes had to do with the case…Prosecution, prosecution, light bulb now on. Ugandlish.

Next case, also aggravated defilement, but for some reason we were not treated to the extended details of the crime, just the “advisors” recommendation, guilty of simple defilement- not sure how any defilement can be simple, but one of the four criteria must not have been proven. Again another court date set for the judge to make a ruling.

The next two cases went quickly, withdrawn by the State Attorney after five years---five years!

Oh and the reason I was at court, a friend of mine was put in prison for seven days because his phone went off in court the week before. After seven days,  he stayed in prison for an additional three days because the judge was took a long weekend so there was no court...imagine being sent to Vacaville or San Quentin because your phone goes off in court! (and he had turned it off, but it accidentally turned on while in his pocket). Did I mention he is a husband, dad and really amazing human being? Yeah...that does not matter to those with the power.

A few years ago I read a book by Gary Haugen, founder of International Justice Mission called The Locust Effect:Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence. It was sad, shocking, depressing, and dealt with the reality of injustice faced by the poor in developing countries. Uganda is a developing country and  I have had glimpses of the corruption and inequality of justice for the poor…I can read about it, and even see small episodes of it, but I have now been baptized in it and quite frankly am not sure what to do with my new knowledge---hence your opportunity to read this blog because sometimes I just need to get it from my head to the page in order to process.

The men in court yesterday were there because they could either afford an attorney, or they had friends or family who could afford an attorney, or the victim could afford to press the case forward. For the rest of the accused…and remember a case can be brought against you on nothing more than one person’s word…you can sit in prison (not county lock up people, with toilets, TV and two to a cell) but prison, for years…forgotten by a system that operates on bribes.

Two stories: 1. Survival Like in healthcare and education here in Uganda, in prison, only the basics are provided- building, guards, blanket (if you are lucky, sometimes takes two months to get, sometimes taken by the mean prisoners). Feeding is once a day and consists of the water the beans were cooked in, followed by beans 100 give or take, and then posho measured in three inch square (think solid cream of wheat cut like jello). It is the responsibility of your family and friends to supply real food etc.  Those without visitors rely on those with visitors for their survival. They cook for you, you share some of your food…that is survival.

2. The Step Mother I have written in the past about how all the evil step-mother stories must have originated in Uganda…here is another one to add to the list…a fourteen year old boy is set to inherit his father’s cattle. The step-mother is not happy about losing the wealth (cattle are like a really good mutual fund) to this boy and decides to accuse him of defiling her daughter. Accused, arrested, charged, thrown in prison…forgotten. Now sixteen, he has not been visited by anyone- unfortunately too many Ugandan men are afraid to be men and do the right thing, instead, they hide behind their horrible, evil wives. So he seeks out ways to survive. He has not been to court and probably never will. He should not even be in the adult prison, but in the remand home for juveniles. He will sit in prison because he has no money, he is just a child and his story is sadly not unique.

If you made it this far, thank you. A bit of a rant coming up here…. I told you there would be sad parts and I am really trying to understand, as I have for the past year, how people can be so cruel to each other. How we cannot see past our own comfort to believe the things that are really happening to people outside our immediate circle. How we can be so desensitized. Humans of New York is doing a series right now on the refugees arriving in Greece…read the stories please, read Gary Haugen’s book please. Take this seriously please. Please please please educate yourself, it is sad and depressing and will rip your heart out, but isn’t that better than being numb to the world? Isn’t that better than not feeling anything? Be thankful that your ancestor’s boat landed in America instead of say, Hungry (not that a boat can land there but you get my meaning). I am blessed with so many opportunities because my Great grandfather made the decision to save his family by traveling across the globe to look for a better life and his boat landed in New York. He was processed without question (name, age, country of origin, boat, number in the family, I have seen the records) - he was not asked what God he prayed to or what his political affiliations were, or even if he could speak English (he couldn’t). Was everyone happy that the “immigrants” had arrived? NO. But they were welcomed and allowed to come and provision was made and the world did not end.

                     New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

---Emma Lazarus (1900)

Apathy and Empathy

Apathy is by definition a “Lack of interest, concern, or emotion; indifference.” It is what is happening to our world…to us as individuals. We are numbed by the bombardment of media images of pain, suffering, violence and death making it difficult to process the horrors taking place in the world…so we shut down, click to the next screen, and scroll past the unpleasant posts. I have seen comments from people that include: “if you are living a good life, why not leave well enough alone” REALLY? Is it just about us and our comfort? I sometimes think that compassion lessons with the increase in technology.

On the other hand, empathy is “the power of understanding and imaginatively entering into another person's feelings.” It is the connection of one human being to another for no other reason than because we share a humanity. 

Is it possible for us to reverse the trend? Is it possible for us to genuinely feel the pain of a mother or father who has lost a child to hunger, murder, or illness? Or to imagine what it must be like to live in fear of your government, have bombs drop on your village, or live in a refugee camp for years on end?

We, (and I use that term in the most Western sense) rather than sit complacently in our comfortable lives, should rather feel a need to create a world in which all children can go to school, eat at least two meals a day, and where parents have the ability to work, provide basics like clothing and shoes. Or where girls are not raped on the subway or on the way to the latrine, where public servant actually means serving the public, and where we care enough about our environment that we treat for what it is…the thing that gives us all life.

I am not speaking as one “holier than thou” because I am as guilty of falling into the apathy trap as anyone. But it is time to stop pretending that we have not created a greed filled culture in which money talks and honesty, truth, compassion, and love have lost their meaning. I am calling out the “religious” who quote the Bible while shaming their neighbor, and vilify anyone who does not accept their “teaching” as correct. I am calling out the presidents, prime ministers, legislators and judiciary who “serve” the people while imposing laws that suppress freedom of speech, assembly, liberty, and belief. I am calling out the teachers who sit back while their classrooms are turned into factories for sedated students and places where creativity and individuality is banned. And I am calling out each of us to really look at those around us, to feel for one minute the pain or loss or desperation that they are feeling and to find a way, human to human, to empathize.

Birthdays

Birthdays…we all have them and yet for some they mean so much and for others…well they don’t even know the date. I was asked the other day how people here celebrate birthdays. It is something that I have thought about off and on but never very deeply. When a student a couple years ago told me that it was his birthday, I asked what he was doing. He replied, "Going to class." I was so sad that no one was doing anything for his birthday that I went a bought him a candy bar. He must have thought I was crazy…but thankfully never said so.

You see, birthdays are not celebrated over here, at least culturally. This seemed so strange to me mostly because of my culture. I was brought up in a home where celebrating your birth was one of the biggest days of the year. My parents always made us feel special, right from the waffle breakfast in the morning to the slumber party that night. My mom even made pie or cheesecake because I did not like ordinary cake. I can see now that it was a celebration of me, as a person, someone special and individual and I was important.

I had my own theories of why birthdays are not celebrated here. Money being the main one, and information. So I asked around and it turns out I was not far off. Extended family is very common and important in the Acholi culture, which means lots of people. Most families are peasant farmers, making very little money…subsisting on what they grow, what they can sell or trade. It would be impossible to celebrate everyone in the family’s birth every year. The second reason is that there are a lot of people who don’t know when they were born. There are no official records kept, no birth certificate, social security card, hospital records. Which got me thinking how obsessed we are about age. What age did the baby learn to walk, when was she potty trained, when did she start school, turning 10, 16, 18, 21, 30, 40, 50…100. And of course all the commercial items aimed at each age, walkers, training diapers, “back to school”, driving, insurance, voting, drinking…and then the age reversal products to make us younger and more beautiful. 

I kind of like the idea of just living life every day and not counting down every year only to wonder where the time has gone.

I am turning 50...and a bit... today and some days I forget how old I am. I actually have to do the math. This may be because of my age, or because I really don’t keep track anymore. I know I have people who love me; I have people I love. I am doing something that inspires, frustrates, breaks my heart and makes it sing. 

The one thing that I think gets missed when birthdays are just another day in a person’s life, especially that of a child, is the feeling that just for one day, you are special, you mean something and your life is worth celebrating. So for my birthday this year, I want everyone who has taken the time to read this … far… to celebrate the life of someone close to you. Not because it is their birthday, but because they are special, they mean something, and their life is worth celebrating. And for God’s sake, eat something delicious for me!