This is why people are afraid to speak out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assassinated_human_rights_activists
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/women-activists-female-human-rights-killed/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dian_Fossey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Corrie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women%27s_rights_activists
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women_of_Courage_Award
But some do speak out: https://www.ted.com/talks/karima_bennoune_when_people_of_muslim_heritage_challenge_fundamentalism
Maria Bashir, “Why do you risk not living?”
In this song, Leonard Cohen examines the question of WHY people risk their lives.
I was with Washington at Valley Forge, shivering in the snow.
I said, "how come the men here suffer like they do? "
"Men will suffer, men will fight, even die for what is right
Even though they know they're only passing through"
I was at Franklin Roosevelt's side on the night before he died.
He said, "One world must come out of World War Two" (ah, the fool)
"Yankee, Russian, White or Tan," he said, "A man is still a man.
We're all on one road, and we're only passing through."
Why do some people sacrifice their life for a cause? They choose their own death over their beliefs. Not a new question, we agree, but one that has never been answered. At Valley Forge, 2,000 of Washington’s 12,000 soldiers died, starving and cold. Died for someone else’s future. Their wives, children, patriotism?
But this list of people are even more heroic, they died not at a time of war when the whole world has gone crazy but to defend the environment, human rights, other species.
If you like this song, you’ll also like The Partisan.