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Big country, Small Minds

Who would have thought it possible? In a sprawling nation founded as a haven from the whims of kings and queens and religious persecution. But it happened. Yes, it did. On September 25, 1690, the first multi-page newspaper, Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick, appeared in the colonies. It came out in Boston, later home to Faneuil Hall, the Cradle of Liberty. Yet there was only one edition of this newspaper. Why? Because four days later, the government shut it down:

"Whereas some have lately presumed to Print and Disperse a Pamphlet, Entitled, Publick Occurrences, both Forreign and Domestick: Boston, Thursday, Septemb. 25th, 1690. Without the least Privity and Countenace of Authority. The Governour and Council having had the perusal of said Pamphlet, and finding that therein contained Reflections of a very high nature: As also sundry doubtful and uncertain Reports, do hereby manifest and declare their high Resentment and Disallowance of said Pamphlet, and Order that the same be Suppressed and called in; strickly forbidden any person or persons for the future to Set forth any thing in Print without License first obtained from those that are or shall be appointed by the Government to grant the same."

How fortunate we are that the Founders learned from this mistake. Who would choose to live in a land, no matter how wealthy, where one group of people could tell another group not to express their opinion? Wouldn't be for me. And it's interesting, because from the 17th century until almost the end the 20th century, you needed a good deal of money to express yourself to a wide audience, to buy a newspaper or publishing company or finance a movie. Not now. We have the Web. And as it turns out we have a fair number of Cyber dissidents in countries that struggle with the idea that people should be free to say what's on their minds.

Today, June 10, 2007, is actually a good day for those who believe in freedom of expression. The government of Vietnam has released the dissident, Nguyen Vu Binh, from a prison near Hanoi.

Binh was a real radical by Vietnamese standards. He wanted to found a second political party; he wrote a critique of a border deal between Vietnam and China and put it on the Web; and he sent written testimony to the United States Congress claiming that his country had a dismal record on human rights. To prove him wrong, the Vietnamese government threw him in jail. Now they've let him out. Seems that Vietnam's President is coming to Washington, a first, and maybe it wouldn't look so good having all these democracy lovers behind bars.

If you're interested in the writers currently languishing in Vietnamese prisons the writer's organization, International Pen, has a link up. Take a look at it. And you'll know how blessed we are.

peter@petergolden.com