How Freedoms Disappear

There was just a sidebar notice in the paper from an AP wire:

“HONG KONG — The distributor of a popular protest song in Hong Kong has decided to remove the music from all platforms because of a court ban in the city, the group that created the song said Friday, a week after YouTube blocked access to its videos.

Dgxmusic said on Instagram that it expressed its opposition to the decision by EmuBands, the distributor, to remove “Glory to Hong Kong,” which was widely sung by demonstrators during huge antigovernmental protests in 2019.

The group said the song has already been removed from iTunes and Apple Music in various regions. Most versions of the song were also unavailable on Spotify in Hong Kong on Friday.

This month, an appeals court granted the government’s request to prohibit the broadcast or distribution of the song to advocate for the separation of Hong Kong from China.

“The song itself is not banned by the injunction. We hope to have the song reinstated as soon as possible,” Dgxmusic said.”

 

The words of the song are straightforward:

 

We pledge No more tears on our land
In wrath, doubts dispell’d we make our stand
Arise! Ye who would not be slaves again:
For Hong Kong, may Freedom reign!

Though deep is the dread that lies ahead
Yet still, with our faith, on we tread
Let blood rage afield! Our voice grows evermore:
For Hong Kong, may Glory reign!

Stars may fade, as darkness fills the air
Through the mist a solitary trumpet flares:
Now, to arms! For Freedom, we fight, with all might we strike!
With valour, wisdom both, we stride!'

Break now the dawn, liberate our Hong Kong
In common breath: Revolution of our times!
May people reign, proud and free, now and evermore
Glory be to thee, Hong Kong!

 

In 2019, many of the eleven million residents of Hong Kong believed that they still had a chance to live independently with the so-called “one nation, two systems” structure promised by the Beijing government. There was in place an agreement of a 50-year transition period from the date in1998 when the British government turned over its lease of the territory to the Chinese mainland. However, as the leaders in Beijing disliked the free press and free speech demonstrated, especially by the young, governmental interference with the independent leadership and elections began. It demanded that police stop the protests, sometimes with brutal force. As a result, especially in 2019, there were widespread protests for weeks in the city. The song above was their rallying cry.

The link here from the Guardian shows in a video clip the passion and the crowds, said to be up to a million residents, at times, taking their beliefs to the streets.

In the five years since these demonstrations happened, authorities implemented Internet controls, raided and closed press operations, and bookstores, and jailed editors. The authorities captured some 'troublemakers' and took them to the mainland, where they tried them in secret courts. Pro-Beijing electees have taken over the governing bodies for the city. (The candidates who did not support these changes could not even be on the ballot.)

 

Did you catch the line: may the people reign, proud and free? This is what America promises: government of the people by the people and for the people.

 

These freedoms should seem to be with us forever as we have a Constitution with Amendments and a Bill of Rights that should be our expectations until the end of time as we know it. Today, some who aspire to higher office do not believe in these stated rights and do not wish to allow a free press or media. They want free speech, for only a few. Others prefer to make it more difficult for all citizens to vote because they can do so. So you might say, what happened in Hong Kong cannot happen here, but look around. We are already seeing rights for women under attack, teachers under duress, election workers, and federal agents being threatened as they do their jobs.

Listen to our elected officials parroting remarks from their MAGA leader; they are not standing up for democracy. Look at those who are leaving Congress because it has become dysfunctional. See the arrogance of the Supreme Court Justices who disregard their oaths to uphold Constitutional principles and be fair, so much so that Justice Sotomayer recently stated she sometimes goes home and cries at night over their actions.

 

Do you remember the poem The Hollow Men by T. S. Elliot? The closing lines are:

“This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang, but a whimper.”

 

This could be the way our democracy ends if no one pays attention to what is going on all around us now. It will not be a violent revolt, but more like death by a thousand cuts; a nip here, a slash there, and suddenly, the structures we thought would hold us together are in tatters. Those who oppose democracy are trying to normalize the breaking down of expected behaviors, such as respect for the Rule of Law, the Legislative, and Judicial authorities, and the processes of the Department of Justice, to mention a few. Those who promote disrespect for candidates by flying flags that say “F….whomever” demean our political process and coarsen our civil dialogue.

So before you leave, take another look at the video from Hong Kong. Those people had hoped to save their independence and five years later, it is mostly gone and people are fleeing the territory if they can. Where could we go, should we need to flee?

 

That said, Memorial Day is tomorrow. On this day, we remember those who are no longer with us. The holiday began during the Civil War – a war between ourselves that brought the highest casualties of any war fought by our country. Then, the war was North vs. South. Let’s not have one of Red vs. Blue in any form. Let’s make this country work for everyone.

 

Til next week-peace!