“RIP NEDA, The World cries seeing your last breath, you didn’t die in vain. We remember you.”
That Twitter post was from a man who said he is a guitarist from Nashville, Tennessee.
“Don’t be afraid Neda”, her friends and father are telling her as she dies. One blogger posted that Neda was protesting with her father in Tehran when pro-government Basiji militia opened fire and shot her.
“The final moments of her tender young life leaked into the pavement of Karegeh Street today, captured by cell phone cameras,” the unnamed blogger posted on Newsvine.com. “And not long after, took on new life, flickering across computer screens around the world on YouTube, and even CNN.”
With journalists in Iran being arrested, deported and generally shut down, kids on twitter have become the eyes and ears of the world. I see the world changing from the common man’s point of view. Government leaders here, and all over the world are clueless when it comes to the new networking. Not only do they not know how to use it to their advantage, they have no idea how to deal with those who do!
If twitter had been online during the Teinamen Square uprising, we would all know the name of the one brave Chinese sould that we only refer to as “The tank guy”. Thanks to twitter, which suspended scheduled downtime to facilitate the protestors in Iran, the whole world knows about Neda. Shot dead in front of her father on the day we celebrate as father’s day. The most shameful actions brought into the world’s view by the younger Iranians who use modern networks.
On a slightly lighter side, I am thoroughly amused and can relate to the scramble in Washington DC to sign up for twitter. God help us if the congresscritters and lobbyists figure out what 16 year old kids already know.
I feel Obama’s response has been appropriate. I also feel deeply moved by the bravery of these common people. Being on twitter and watching the tweets from Iran while seeing video of Neda has deeply moved me. Many twitter users have either changed or modified thier avatars to anything green as a show of support. I do the only thing that Obama can do. Watch, listen and comment in support. ~sekanblogger
related post here https://iggydonnelly.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/big-brother-in-reverse-sekanblogger/
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
I don’t know how to Twitter. Got it but don’t use it. The only time was the day Tiller was shot. My daughter told me the other night that it’s because I don’t use the cell phone to do it. Keeping a browser open and refreshing every few minutes is not my idea of a good time. But I don’t even text on my phone. Just more money down the tubes for a bunch of interruptions and too old to change.
Besides, it’s all foreign to me. And I’m considered the guru of computers in my circle! That oughta get you laughing your a$$ off this fine, hot and muggy morning. 🙂
I explain something in the blog post on my blog, we are seeing something that every Democracy needs to take note of. Even if the voice people feel they have in a Democracy is an illusion, when it becomes apparent that their voice is ignored or disregarded. They will not stand for it and the Government will lose control of the people. Another point I made was that by killing protesters they give faces and names to the protest and it will not stop. What was a simply expression of discontent now is a major political movement.
In hindsight I see that we came quite close in 2000 to this happening in the United States.
Gore had the popular vote yet lost, if not for other factors would we have seen the masses in the streets.
It makes me wonder just how our own Government would have handled it?
Neda is now a martyr in a country that holds martyrs as the highest honor. I am horrified that she died as I should be that anyone died. By it being so public and known, her name will be song of and the movement will be drawing on her for strength. I am torn, that to find a value in the senseless death is somewhat an excuse for that death. Which course would she have chosen if given the choice? A nation Martyr who’s death may very well bring her people out from under a dictatorship. Or simply a human being who would marry the man she loved and gave the world children to add to her country. And might be a life where she made what other would consider minor achievements. She might have been a Doctor or a business owner the list could go on as to what she might have became.
But now she is as a demigod, worshipped and adored as somehow more then mere mortal.
Iran can never been as it was or would have been, she has changed all that by being an innocent killed.
We may have been close to citizen unrest in 2000, but those disenfranchised by the U.S. government were peace-loving, diplomacy-embracing liberals. The Iranian people put Americans to shame! We should have been as brave as they are!
If we had prevented the eight miserable years of bush, we wouldn’t be in the serious trouble we find ourselves.
Morning Prairie P&P’s….missed the Duct Tape Festival in Ohio…damn! I was otherwise tied up…
OK, I know, I know you don’t like Twitter it’s confusing etc. But try downloading TWEETDECK (its free), this enables you to follow your favorites more easily. You can have it open on your desktop and just have the news feed coming in.
Now Fnord and Sekan I have found another free download that I think you may just love http://www.jingproject.com …it is a little software package which enables you to grab a screenshot of any page on a website or part there of, and save it as an image. Why is this so cool…rather than link you can show it as an image on your site. Plus being an image you can highlight, underline and make comments on it. Extremely handy if someone writes something about you on a blog…just grab the screen shot and you have it on record and archived. I have been using it to show people how to use WordPress for the first time. I just screen grab every page process and put notes on it. Have a great day everyone, this Loon is going shut eye!
Wow, I’ll hafta check that out!
I can see where NOT LINKING to some site, but showing them can be a great thing!
I use my graphics software for grabbing screen shots, but thanks for the suggestion. Who knows? I may switch!
And thanks for the Tweetdeck thing. A friend shared all kinds of gadgets for Twitter, but I haven’t taken the time to check them out. Besides, I’m not sure I want to be followed. LOL
Got any TimTams laying around? YUM!
Did anyone see John McCain with Bob Schieffer on Sunday morning talking about his disapproval of Obama’s handling of the Iran situation?
McCain basically mocked Obama for not being forceful enough; but then he said, several times, that the US should not go in and bomb Iran.
I just wanted Bob Schieffer to ask McCain one thing – have you been singing your little song bomb, bomb, bomb Iran lately?
McCain had that creepy smirk on his face the whole time and I felt that perhaps down deep in that little man’s heart – he actually did mean we should go in and bomb Iran. But, hey, alot of private contractors would get rich again -huh?
And I would be willing to bet the Republicans would not care one bit if Obama spent more trillions on the Iran war. I’m sure they would even encourage him to do so – all the time waving their American flag and kissing their Bible.
I think Obama is playing this Iranian situation smart. We need to show that the U.S. is not meddling in their country this time. After all, whatever happens in Iran, Obama will have to deal with the eventual leader – and both men were basically the same – weren’t they? Actually, in Iran the real leader is the Supreme Leader cleric – isn’t it?
We should’ve quit messing around in other countries a long time ago. Now everyone seems to expect us to go charging in and taking over. Just how well did that work? We made bigger messes than were already there.
History has proven that for the people to win their country back, they must take action and be willing to sacrifice even thousands of lives. It’s very sad, but it’s the nature of Man.
I just read on the Huffington Post blog that George Will actually told George Stenophalous on ABC that the Republicans’ right-wing’s criticism of Obama’s handling of Iran is wrong.
What? Did Hell just freeze over?
I find it more than ironic that the same Republicans who accuse Obama and the big bad government of intervening in their lives have no problem with Obama ordering the US government to intervene in the Iranians lives.
I agree, Wicked, this fight is for the Iranian people to settle.
Death of the Neocons
Paul Wolfowitz, Robert Kagan and the same old crew of discredited neoconservatives who pushed America into Iraq have returned again to chastise President Obama for not force-feeding Iran their democracy. That not even other Republicans are biting might spell the end of an era.
The whole Neo-Conservatives agenda depends on good and evil, if for some reason other countries start turning from evil. That leaves the Neo-Cons standing around with their hands in their pockets playing with their thingies! Mc Cain had sold his soul to the Neo-Cons and is their most famous whore now. They are being unpatriotic even according to their own definitions of Patriotism.
When you look back at the sorry mess we made of Iran over oil, one comes to the realization we have no business interfering in their politics. Prime Minister, Mohammed Massadegh, oversaw the nationalization of Iran’s oil industry, and that didn’t sit well with America.
“In 1953 the United States played a significant role in orchestrating the overthrow of Iran’s popular Prime Minister, Mohammed Massadegh. The Eisenhower Administration believed its actions were justified for strategic reasons; but the coup was clearly a setback for Iran’s political development. And it is easy to see now why many Iranians continue to resent this intervention by America in their internal affairs.”
And now bozos like McCain want us to dive in again? Evidently, the right wing mind has a problem with, “Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.”
Did you know Iran is the largest exporter of Pistachio nuts!
How strongly do I feel about what Mc Cain is doing? Here is the e-mail I just sent him:
Senator I am writing you as an American one who was happy that you had decided to run for President again. That was until I realized you had sold your soul to the Neo-Conservatives a one honorable man who’s service to this country was beyond question. But your actions of late are quite questionable as to where your loyalties lies. The attacks on the stance the President has taken on Iran is at least weak partisan mindless dribble. At worst a Neo-Conservatives un-American drive to cause the protests to fail and continue the regime that would allow an excuse to attack Iran.
Stop and look once again into your soul Senator, a once proud American soul that cause you to be a shining light for this nation.
R.D. Liebst
Update on twitter in Iran.
The Iranian govt has began sending their own misinformation via twitter. They are posting misleading information about where and when to meet for protests.
I’m the “guitarist in Nashville” whom posted that Tweet quoted above. Incredible sadness for me to see such a tragic death. I’ve composed “SONG FOR NEDA” in her honor and memory. You can listen here if you’d like:
http://gregv.us/blog/
Thank you,
Greg V.