I vividly remember the photos and video footage of the Ayatollah Khomeini.... I remember being afraid of him, because he was holding Americans hostage (this is the recollection of an almost 5 year old boy). His face to me conjured fear. I worried that he might take away someone I knew, loved, or cared about. Just the thoughts of a silly child you say. Probably so....
BUT. I am writing this letter in case you haven't considered the view of the almost 5 year old children in Iran tonight. They are watching carefully. In fact, they are not just watching half a world away as I was thirty years ago, they are LIVING these events. And rest assured, what happens in the next 24 hours and over the next days and weeks will be closely observed by the children of Iran. The children of Tehran hear the rooftop cries of Allah-o Akbar every night. They hear the whispers of adults about meet-up locations and rallies. They hear the silence of the silent demonstrations. They hear the cries of bereaved families who have lost loved ones to the paramilitary police's brutality.
Dear Ayatollah Khamenei,
Greetings from the big town of Luthersville, Georgia (population under 1,000). I know what you are thinking. Where in the hell is Luthersville, Georgia? Don't be offended, but I get that response from people in the United States too sometimes. Hope you don't mind, but I wondered if we could be internet penpals for perhaps just one day. Thought you might find it interesting that in rural West Central Georgia, we have been following events in Iran with intense interest. I know, I know. There is a time difference, and Luthersville is a far piece from Tehran. But not really. See, the world isn't exactly separated by distance and time the way it once was. The internet allows me to have instant, real time accounts of what is happening in your country. By the way, it is hot as hell here today. Where are my manners? How's the weather in your part of the world today?
Hope this letter doesn't seem overly familiar, but I saw you on t.v. today, and just wanted to get a few things off of my chest about what you said and about what's going on. (Oh, and for what it's worth, if we are watching in Luthersville, Georgia, suffice it to say, the whole world is truly watching.)
When I was a little boy, we "picked up" two t.v. stations in my part of the world. One was the local CBS affiliate and the other was public television. (We didn't have cable t.v. in our part of the world at that time.) Probably more than you wanted to know, but I think you would agree that the world has come a long way since 1979, when I was 5. Which brings me to my first real newstory memory: the Iranian revolution and the overthrow of the Shah. I was actually almost 5 when the Shah left Iran (turned 5 in late February of that year). Since we didn't have the internet or cable t.v., Walter Kronkite brought the news to our home. I remember the images of the protests, the people in the streets, and the demonstrations. Suffice it to say, at the tender age of almost 5, I didn't really understand much about what was happening. I just understood that a lot of Iranian people were mad at some guy called the Shah who knew President Jimmy Carter (who is from Georgia too... small world, huh?). I vividly remember the photos and video footage of the Ayatollah Khomeini. I remember thinking as a little boy that he must be a pretty powerful fellow, because he was on the news a whole bunch, and there were always people in the street and demonstrations in Iran where he seemed to command a lot of respect. I remember being afraid of him, because he was holding Americans hostage (this is the recollection of an almost 5 year old boy). His face to me conjured fear. I worried that he might take away someone I knew, loved, or cared about. Just the thoughts of a silly child you say. Probably so....
BUT. I am writing this letter in case you haven't considered the view of the almost 5 year old children in Iran tonight. They are watching carefully. In fact, they are not just watching half a world away as I was thirty years ago, they are LIVING these events. And rest assured, what happens in the next 24 hours and over the next days and weeks will be closely observed by the children of Iran. The children of Tehran hear the rooftop cries of Allah-o Akbar every night. They hear the whispers of adults about meet-up locations and rallies. They hear the silence of the silent demonstrations. They hear the cries of bereaved families who have lost loved ones to the paramilitary police's brutality.
These children speak not only Farsi, but speak the language of computer. They do not know a world without Twitter, Facebook, and the internet. These children are the future of Iran. These children will write the history of your time as the leader of Iran. Tonight, tomorrow, and the next day, they watch carefully.
The children of Iran are watching. And tweeting.