Expression and Identity: Collected Voices on “Freeing Space”1
Arminda Lathrop, M.A.
Part I: “Have You Seen My FOE?”
Shifting slightly in his chair, Aflodis pauses and places his thumb and forefinger on his chin thoughtfully. “The debate and discussion helps us to free space for expression,” he says2. I can tell that this is something he says often in interviews like this and wish that I would have thought of this phrase, “freeing space.” In fact, as I am talking with Aflodis, I realize how important this idea of creating a space for expression is. Aflodis is a representative of a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Rwanda that focuses on teaching the youth of Rwanda that they are “the actors of their future—the decision makers,” as he puts it. Aflodis continues to explain that, after the horrendous genocide that occurred in his country only thirteen years ago, it remains important to instill a sense among the Rwandese people— particularly the youth—that they can influence their own futures and the future of their country by learning peaceful methods of decision making and conflict resolution and healthy ways of self-expression.
We have met for this interview between sessions at the International Debate Education Association’s (IDEA) annual Youth Forum in the Czech Republic. As a representative of IDEA, I’m admittedly looking for tidbits from my interview with Aflodis that I can use to demonstrate why IDEA is an important and worthwhile organization. And, Aflodis has similar motivations: He’s hoping to draw continued partnership and support for his own NGO in Rwanda.
Though we’re exchanging terms that float nicely about the air in democratic righteousness—“peaceful conflict resolution,” “free discussion,” “democratic values,” “open expression,” “the free exchange of ideas—” that both of us regularly insert into grant proposals and promotional materials,this language is accompanied by recent experience. We’ve seen the benefits of debate, expression, and idea exchange over the past week. Students from thirty countries, ranging from Israel to Mongolia to Croatia, have been debating the resolution, “Hate speech should be a crime.” At an international Youth Forum with an astonishingly wide range of perspectives and experiences, this resolution draws a great amount of response.
When participants arrived at the Youth Forum earlier in the week, they received a handbook of essays and materials on Freedom of Expression with a big label on the front, reading, “FOE.” Throughout the week, I have heard the repeated question, “Have you seen my FOE?” more times than I can count. As Forum continues to move forward, we all continue to search for— and understand—this concept of FOE. Among the FOE Packet materials is J.B. Bury’s, A History of Freedom of Thought, in which Bury writes, “For knowledge is advanced through the utterance of new opinions, and truth is discovered by free discussion.” Bury continues by quoting Milton: “If the waters of truth ‘flow not in a perpetual progression they sicken into a muddy pool of conformity and tradition.3’” Engaging in “free discussion” is the students’ purpose at Forum, yet defining the concept proves difficult.
Getting at the core of what “freedom of expression” means, students have spent the last week studying and debating about the limits of this principle. Aflodis and I watched Jewish students from Israel debate about expression in relation to Holocaust denial, students from Bosnia/Herzegovina discuss genocide and territorial disputes associated with expression, and Muslim Arab-Israeli students examine the question of limitations on religious freedom of expression. The implications of the answers that come along with examining the question of freedom of expression begin to surface in a context in which these implications have taken family members, destroyed homes, and defined the direction of lives. Aflodis, along with many Forum participants, understands the complications involved in regulating freedom of expression from firsthand experience.
As the Forum nears its end, I find it interesting that after a great deal of research and discussion about diverse locations, cultures, and events, most students begin their debate rounds with a resolution focused on the U.S. The original resolution of “Hate speech should be a crime” must be narrowed down to be arguable. Students must define the term “hate speech,” and they must define where it should be crime—most teams choose the U.S. as a location. The topic suddenly becomes, “Violent video games should be banned in the U.S.,” or, “The U.S. should ban the existence of the KKK.”
I’m not sure why the choice of the U.S. occurred so commonly. Perhaps it is because the U.S. is a location that most of these students have had to study and understand, or maybe it’s because there is a great amount of easily accessible research material about the U.S. Admittedly, I was disappointed to learn that an event so internationally focused had circled around to debating about U.S. policy. I wanted to learn about what was going on in many of these students’ countries and cultures; I wanted to hear about how they viewed laws and the process of government regulation in countries other than the U.S.. Compared to many of the intense situations I had heard about over the week, the U.S. seemed to have a firm grasp on boundaries of expression.
But, something strange happened once the debating began. As I listened to secondary school students from thirty other countries talk about freedom of speech and expression in the U.S., I began to think about and understand the complexities that surround these freedoms in our diverse and open society from a different perspective—one of people living outside of the country. It’s clear that these students view the U.S. as a country of freedom and opportunity, but it also became evident that they believe the process of passing laws that limit or regulate freedoms is done quickly and simply.
One Estonian girl proposed, “The U.S. ought to ban all organized groups whose agendas can lead to violence.” Her primary example was the KKK, and the proposal initially seemed like a fair idea—until her opponents began questioning who would determine which groups had “violent” agendas and what “can lead to violence” really means. Could a group that was protesting for equal rights be counted as one whose actions could lead to violence? What implications did this have for all organized groups, especially minority groups?
Considering the U.S.’s violent and complex history and the multicultural makeup of the country, the question of where boundaries are appropriately placed on expression is still quite relevant. Though I believe that many of the international students at Youth Forum chose the U.S. as a location for their resolution because it is the country most of them know the most about next to their own countries, their debates exposed the issues and problems in the U.S. that are ultimately rooted in the question of limits on expression. Whether discussing violent video games, graffiti, or the KKK, boundaries on expression are the underlying theme, and in a diverse, democratic society, an obvious resolution surfaces neither quickly nor clearly.
Part II: Expression Profiling
Having spent six weeks reflecting on the complexities of freedom of expression in a multicultural context outside of the U.S., I returned determined to explore the question of what shapes an individual’s understanding of freedom of expression in our democratic and multicultural context. I wanted to explore how an individual’s understanding of expression shapes identity— both personally and communally. I was also particularly interested in how boundaries on expression are set and transformed throughout people’s lives, as well as what kinds of agents set these boundaries—and the extent to which these agents vary from person to person. It is my hope that this examination of experiences in expression serves as a canvas, displaying voices and stories in raw and rich form and providing a glimpse into some of the complexities that exist when examining the role of freedom of expression and how the concept of it develops in a larger societal context in the U.S.
The voices that follow are diverse and unique; they display the beauty and importance of expression in a multicultural society. I sought to find both trends and differences in the development of expression and attempted to display voices of people from different areas, cultures, and backgrounds. Their voices demonstrate the extent to which expression both contributes toward an individual’s sense of self and is a product of this individuality.
Voice 1: Kent and the Theme of Trails
To get to Skagway, Alaska, one must fly into Anchorage and then take
a puddle-jumper another two hours to Skagway. The little town is about six
miles from the Canadian border. Its name means “place of wind” in the native
language, Tlingit, as Skagway is located in a valley between two mountains.
In the winter, the wind rips through this former gold rush town harshly, its
biting, brisk whistle chilling Skagway’s 725 residents.
Kent Fielding is an English teacher at the tiny high school in Skagway. He is also the school’s track and cross country coach, drama teacher, and debate coach. I expected him to add that he is mayor as well, but he apparently hasn’t taken on this role…yet. Kent describes Skagway like this: “Skagway is a place of trails. Trails up into the woody mountains. Trails to mountain lakes. Trails through the ghost town of Dyea. Hunting trails. Skiing trails. Running trails. Blueberry picking trails. Bear trails.”4 As Kent and I continue our conversation, I consider this idea of trails as it relates to our travel through our own expression—all of the inclines, blockades, rocks, and occasional watering holes that shape direction and destination.
Kent’s trail has been shaped by diverse experiences, influences, and locations. He relays his experiences vividly and emotionally. Though the first impression of Kent can lead one to believe he is quiet and reserved, he quickly dispels this notion when he describes his passion for students, theater, global studies, his family, and running—subjects he can discuss for hours. Kent is a storyteller.
As a child, Kent had very few limits on his own expression. He recalls, “My mother didn’t even tell me not to draw on the wall. It was like one giant coloring book. We had few toys, so I was able to beat pots and pans and sing like a maniac. I remember one Saturday marching around the neighborhood with my friends, banging pots and singing, ‘We got short shorts’—bang, bang, bang—‘We wear short shorts’—bang, bang, bang—You got short shorts—bang, bang, bang …I don’t know how I remember these words. I was only four.” Now thirty-six, Kent laughs about how he had the freedom to run and play around the neighborhood and in the forest as a child, as long as he walked out the door with his mother’s prayer, “Lord, keep him safe.”
Though he had few limits on expression, Kent recalls hearing hate speech as a child and being restricted from using it. “There was one African American family on the block, and they had a girl, Vanessa, my age. One day I remember Vanessa crying. She told me that someone had left her dad a note that said, ‘We don’t want any niggers in our neighborhood.’ I think this was 1977. It was the first time I had encountered racial hatred…My father, in explaining the situation told me that the word ‘nigger’ was like saying, ‘I want to see you dead. I’d like to kill you.’ One time I got in a fight with my brother and said, ‘you nigger.’ My father grounded me for a week and made me split firewood. But, first he asked, ‘Do you hate your brother? Do you wish he was dead?’”
“Later—in high school—there was a group of guys who would brag about how they would hang out on ‘fag hill’ and beat gays with bats,” Kent remembers. “It scared the hell out of me. We saw the people who hung out on that hill—just people hanging out in the park enjoying themselves…It was easy and acceptable to use the word ‘fag’ when I was growing up, but reading people like Allen Ginsberg helped remind me of the hate involved in the expression.”
“As far as my own expression, I was usually encouraged to write, to draw, to play a musical instrument, but my parents forced me into sports. We must remember that ‘sports’ is perhaps the biggest expression of self in America. I started playing tennis when I was five and by age eleven, I was entered into tournaments with an expectation of winning…By high school, I had quit all sports but running and basketball. But running became my expression. I mean, how you could end a race with a kick or sprint a hill, or turn a corner and disappear from your opponents? These were expressions. I could take the guts out of my opponent on the last 400 sprint and that sprint said, ‘I’m strong. I have muscles in my legs that can scream louder than the blue sky.’ I realize that sports was reinforced in my family. Other forms of expression, while encouraged, did not get the same passionate reinforcement, and therefore, they were seen as not as equal. My father did state, when I was in college, that my poetry would not make me any money.”
Now, as a teacher in a small town, Kent encourages his students to find their own ways of expressing themselves. But, at the same time, he feels the pressure of community restricting his own free speech exercise. “In our society, teenagers are marginalized,” Kent says. “Adults fear them. They hang out on street corners or in coffee houses late at night—or all night. They listen to strange music. They use sexually filled language or obscene language. They perform forbidden dances that look like sex rituals. All of this, I believe is normal…we must remember that teenagers will always look for new ways of self-expression, and the more avenues we limit, the darker the avenues they discover.”
“As a teacher in a small community, everything I do or say is watched. I can’t express some of my more radical views of U.S. society. They’d run me out of town.” He laughs. “In certain arenas, we’ve placed limits on what we say. These limits even reach the press, which fails to report certain things or events due to their negative impact or nature…Our news channels report the same thing and they all seem to be biased and opinionated. We must look to art and independent documentaries to get the real news.” Kent adds.
We finish up the interview with the question, “Do you think that there should be limitations on freedom of expression in our multicultural and democratic society?”
Kent doesn’t pause to take a breath before responding. “No. You start limiting expression and you start limiting ideas, experiences, and arenas of debate. In a country that still marginalizes groups, we need as many voices as can be found.”
Voice 2: Mercedes—Education is Accompanied by Freedom and Confidence
Mercedes’ words pop out of her mouth quickly and precisely. She is on the phone with her daughter, one hand on her hip: “Don’t you make me
come over there. I will … No. No. You get your homework done and then
we’ll talk about it. Nope. Nuh-uh.” Pause. “Okay, love you baby.” She hangs
up the phone and sighs. As she continues her discussion, words come out of
her mouth quickly and crisply and seem to pop in the air. Her Bronxy, Puerto
Rican accent carries a strong element of assertiveness that would carry weight in
any argument.
Mercedes is thirty-one years old, though she looks closer to twenty-five. She is Puerto Rican and a student of Creative Arts and Technology at Bloomfield College in Newark. She is also a single mother, actress, videographer, and foot model. Yes, an actual foot model. Mercedes has a perfect size six foot—perfectly measured, shaped, and pedicured. “I thought about taking insurance out on my feet,” she says, “because, you know, these are my bread and butter. This is how I pay the bills.”5 She spends many long days on those perfect size sixes on the sales floor at Kenneth Cole in New York City, modeling shoes and assisting with fittings.
“Is it difficult to manage being a mother and full-time student while holding down so many jobs?” I ask.
“Yeah. But, growing up, I had the same situation wit [sic] my parents each holding down more than one job. They were hardly involved because they had to work more than one job. Just so they could provide for us.” She folds her hands together. “I mean, I’ve always lived in all black and Spanish neighborhoods. And, that’s the way it is there. Most families are single parent households who always work more than one job and raise their kids on their own.”
Mercedes is the youngest of five children and the first person in her immediate family to graduate from high school. As a child, she always seemed to have steadfast determination, but she was incredibly shy. In fact, when I asked her about the earliest time in her life she could remember being reprimanded for expressing herself, she couldn’t remember a time when she expressed herself prior to adolescence. In a family of seven people, one had to fight for words, and Mercedes chose not to fight this fight. It’s difficult to believe that the woman on the phone moments earlier is the same person as this child.
In fact, Mercedes isn’t quite sure when she made the decision to start expressing herself or what exactly influenced this decision, but she believes it is a result of her education. With education came confidence. “Education has helped me to remain open to new people and new ideas,” she says. “I feel like I have a right to express myself and say what I need to say.”
For her personal boundaries on self-expression, the line stops at degrading, intimidating, or inciting violence or prejudiced action against a specific person or group. “There’s a difference in targeting a topic or problem. There shouldn’t be anything wrong wit [sic] voicing what I want to say. Now, like I said, when you start to target a specific person, that begins to be a problem.” We discuss the idea that, in a multicultural society, hate speech that targets specific groups is a very real problem. “Well, we should continue to address the harmful effects of certain speech,” Mercedes says with resolve.
As a parent, Mercedes is determined to encourage her daughter’s expression, while guiding it at the same time. She understands parental influence on thought and expression. She wants her daughter to feel more freedom to express herself than she felt as a child, but she also adds, “Now, there are times my daughter may comment on something and I just worry that she may not be prepared for other people’s response, so I do give her a warning on with who, where, and when she should talk about certain topics.” Mercedes also seems to put the same boundaries around her daughter’s expression that she uses to guide herself, adding that she encourages her daughter to be respectful of other people. Mercedes smiles and shrugs: “It’s all about that respect.”
Voice 3: Juan Garcia—“An English-Only State”
His official title is “Specialist, Garcia, Juan,” though, in the past, he’s also been “Squad Leader,” “Team Leader,” and “Driver.” He’s sitting on a helibase
right now in northern Idaho, which is in vivid contrast to Iraq, where
he was recently stationed for two years. This summer, he is serving on a fire
crew, and his official job is “crash rescue,” which he explains as extinguishing
a helicopter fire and preventing it from spreading, should one of the machines
crash while landing or taking off. “But, it’s pretty much just sitting around
playing cribbage, reading, and watching the occasional movie,”7 he explains.
Specialist Garcia, now a student, lives near Boise, Idaho. He tells how making the transition from Compton, California, where he was born, to Idaho as a child was difficult. But, after the L.A. riots in 1992, his mother felt she had to move Juan and his brothers north. “At that time, the Hispanic population was very low in Idaho,” Juan says. “People actually told me, ‘This is an English-only state.’ The school had some stupid system of testing Hispanic kids on ancient computers…the whole ESL thing threw off the first years of my education. My mom only speaks Spanish at home and the English thing was difficult to pick up. I’ve noticed—with me and my little bro anyway—that there’s lag time in the first couple years of an ESL child’s school. They need to play catch up to learn the new language before anything else.”
Juan’s transition into English as a child was accompanied by the usual boundaries and exploration of language that many children have. “I remember some girl had kicked my basketball away from the basketball court and I called her a slut. Little did I know that the vice principal, who happened to be on duty that day, was standing right behind me when I said it. She took me into the office and asked why I had called Jennifer that and if I even knew what it meant. I assured her that I knew what that meant. She wrote me up, sent me home with a note, and received a forged note back the next day…Also, there was this one time in 6th grade science camp. We were on our way back from some field trip and I was sitting in the back of the bus and we decided it’d be funny to write ‘Bomb on Bus’ on a piece of paper and put it in the back window. As you can imagine, it was only a matter of time before the local Police Department and bomb squad pulled over the bus…landed me in the county jail for a few hours…apparently, the whole ‘freedom of speech’ doesn’t cover disrupting public safety.” He laughs.
“I don’t know if it was ever explained, but at some magical age, it was okay to say certain words. My older brother cusses in front of my mom and she rarely has a problem with it. She’d have a big problem with my little brother or sister using grown up words…My parents need to work on listening to their kids. I often felt that I couldn’t really express myself because it would just be brushed off. My little brother will tell them that his feelings are being hurt or something, and they’ll tell him that he’s being too sensitive.”
“But, outside the home, you run into a different issue. The problem shifts from what you say to how you say it. When I was in grade school, it was often frowned upon to speak Spanish. The teachers would say that we needed to speak English and used lame excuses to justify it. They would say it was unhealthy for us to continue speaking Spanish and they would continue giving me stupid tests and sending me to immersion and later transition classes because they felt they needed to show the Hispanic kids certain attention. I felt like an animal in a zoo being prepped to be released into the wild. I often hear the whole ‘We are in America. Speak English.’ I still think that people around here think this is just a ‘phase’ that the state is going through. They still think that one day they will wake up and all the Hispanics will be gone like a bad dream.”
Juan jokes about being the “token Hispanic” guy in his squad, but no one is allowed to talk about it. “In the military, we’re told what to and what not to say. Not only is there the whole OPSEC thing…”—He pauses—“Operational Security. But, there’s also the whole ‘We’re doing great!’ attitude that’s forced on us. The military likes everyone to think that the troops are all doing great and happy to be doing whatever it is that the President deemed right…The military has liaisons, these guys all trained in sugarcoating everything. The government does a great job of cutting out a whole lot of dumb crap that starts happening when you get a bunch of guys together. I’ve gotta say that the tighter ship the military runs is probably a little more ‘appropriate,’” Juan says, making quotation marks in the air with his fingers.
A veteran of the war in Iraq, Juan’s perspective on the necessity for freedom of expression was reinforced during his tour of duty: “I think that freedom of speech is one of the greatest things that can happen to Iraq. I now see how fortunate we are to be able to express ourselves. I’m happy that I can say whatever the hell I want.” He pauses and laughs. “See that, I said ‘hell.’ I’ve now seen the two extremes. Americans can say and express about anything while those in Iraq can hardly express anything. Some of the basic rights that we don’t even think about, like criticizing the government or religious leaders can result in imprisonment or death there. It makes me wonder how things would be if our freedom of speech was restricted. I guess that all in all I think that people should have the freedom of expression and that there isn’t really a way to set boundaries. I love the fact that this country allows people to express themselves publicly—may it be gay pride or anti-war.”
Voice 3: Kate—“All my life, I have been at war with this line of what is acceptable.”
“When I was seven, my father died. I remember very little from the
time, but the images are strong. Stained glass windows from the funeral
home. The dashboard of the black car that transported all five of us kids
to the gravesite at the cemetery. I was really angry. Not sad. Angry. Yet, I had no way to express that anger, that raging fury that left
me speechless and tearless. One of the few memories that stays with me is the morning
I returned to school. I told my teacher, Miss Hoffman, ‘My daddy died on Wednesday.’
Her response was, ‘Oh, that’s too bad.’ She never even looked up from the chalkboard. She just kept on writing. I had no
outlet. No way to express what was bottled up inside. My ultimate expression for this rage was my overeating, which developed very quickly into childhood
obesity. And, at that time, kids weren’t punished for calling me ‘fatty Kathy,’
but I was punished for responding to the fat comments.”8 Kate exudes an air
of confidence and security, and it’s difficult to believe—as she articulates her
feelings and memories—that she has ever had difficulty with expression.
“When I was twelve, my brother died—suicide response to Vietnam, long story…I remember that I wanted to make some sort of statement, you know, to try and take his idea forward even after his death. So, I wore black in some aspect of my clothing…oh, not the goth look of the ‘90’s, usually just a choice of black t-shirts or turtlenecks with my jeans or overalls. The school was stressed about it and it was suggested that I be given counseling. (Pause) Hmmm, war protest and counseling, how does that figure?” Kate grins and winks.
As a teacher in the Midwest for many years who now lives and works in France, Kate says, “Social pressures control human expression. Attitudes on compassion, charity, body image, nationalism, and yes, patriotism are formed—or framed—for us. The pressure may move a person in a direction of conformity or non-conformity, largely depending on past experiences and feedback received from the various social groups that the person values. You know, sometimes it’s fashionable to challenge your government, sometimes it’s not.”
“All my life, I’ve been at war with this line of what is acceptable. Fortunately, or unfortunately, each battle lost or won in the war changed my life. The theater program that was my passionate realization of free expression needed to be taken to the next level…society doesn’t have many acceptable outlets for this kind of change, so I took a long-term leave of absence and was pretty much denied the opportunity to return…the boundaries and lines for expression have always been fuzzy for me. As an adult, I choose to ignore a lot of those boundaries. But, that being said, I think many adults say they’re less restricted, but in reality, they’re equally restricted. They just use different words to identify their pressures.”
“There is always the conflict: When does freedom become license? Our society values—or says it does, anyway—freedom of expression because democracy depends on an educated people. John Stuart Mill explains why the “free marketplace of ideas” is so important in his book, On Liberty. There’s a lot to his thesis, but briefly, all ideas need to be heard or seen so that they can be challenged and either reinforced or struck down. If an idea is bad or evil, it must be exposed for what it is. If not, the bad or evil can spread like a silent disease and have the same deadly effects on society. If an idea is good, exposure can strengthen the effects of the idea…Hate speech is not something that I particularly like, nor do I think there should be a right to evil. But, I do recognize the value in exposing this hatred. But, there’s also a corresponding obligation for society to say ‘stop’ to the hate and strengthen laws that punish behavior that hurts another human being.”
On the differences in freedom of expression between American and French societies, Kate says, “Since I arrived in January, I’ve been struck by the mixed messages of French society. Suprisingly, there aren’t a lot of official differences. The French are huge on political philosophy. The motto of “Equality, Liberty, Fraternity” permeates almost all policies and laws— on paper—just like the laws and policies of the U.S.. Just like in the U.S., France has a problem with racists, intolerance, and discrimination. Because this is more of a socialist system of government, there seems to be more social pressure to change actions that express this. In the U.S., this pressure is less apparent.”
Part III: Picturing the KGB
“We glory in flowering,” Kent writes thoughtfully, making a reference to a quote by Rilke from The Duino Elegies. Kent is referring to the way people universally learn and grow from new experiences, perspectives, and influences—the various stimuli to which we react. Demonstrations of expression are often a reaction to these stimuli, as individuals’ development of self is connected to their reactions. As Kate says, “Everything that we say, do, dress, stand, is part of the message that we send to the world that says, ‘Hey, look at me. Listen to me. I exist. This is who I am. This is what I feel, what I believe.’” In the “expression profiles” of Kent, Mercedes, Juan, and Kate, each person’s expression development is closely tied to her or his identity development.
Kate identifies her first memories of self-expression as an angry reaction to her father’s death—and then to her brother’s death—as her demonstrations of free expression were closely tied to tragic moments in her childhood and adolescence. Her demonstrations of expression helped shape the identity of a woman who continues to refer to herself as someone who pushes boundaries and ignores the dictates of the status quo. And, similarly, Kent, Juan and Mercedes identify factors or events in their childhoods, whether education, sports, or language—or a restriction thereon—that spurred or inhibited their expression and helped shape their identities.
If one’s understanding of self-expression and subsequent exercise of that expression is naturally connected to identity, what can our development of expression tell us about the development of our identity and the understanding of self? Environmental, societal, familial, and governmental influences carve our paths of expression, informing identities and influencing our actions. Thus, when we discuss placing boundaries on freedom of expression, we’re talking about placing boundaries on the freedom to react to these influences and steering identity development.
Kent, Kate, Juan, and Mercedes have the freedom to react and to express in the way they want; their voices and identities are vividly different and expressive. When this freedom isn’t granted, voices are inhibited and identities are constrained. Throughout the interview process, I continued to come back to a conversation I had with Katechka, a university student from Belarus, about the topics of debate and journalism. Over a meal of cold cafeteria pasta with tomato sauce, Katechka and I discussed her work in the field of debate at the university. “I am eager to teach debate at my university,” she explained. “It is necessary for my country.” She paused and lowered her voice. “You have to understand. This is a privilege. It is a privilege to learn…we have to be very careful. We have to watch what we do and watch what we say at the university if we want to continue. They say we are free to discuss, but there is this ceiling that no one is to exceed. And I…I am caught in this place of deciding, do I try to encourage students in my country to learn and to speak out against injustices we are experiencing? By doing this, I risk my life, you know. Or, do I try to leave the country? Do I try to go to America for school—to stay and to try to live in America?” She took a bite and shook her head. “I keep thinking, ‘At least I have to keep trying here…If I don’t, who is going to?’”9
According to Katechka, the government of Belarus had just passed a law making it illegal to say anything negative about the governments of Belarus or Russia. Belorussian citizens who are caught breaking the law face a jail sentence. In fact, Katechka’s close friend and leader of the debate society had recently been expelled from the university for holding debates about the topic of decisions made by the Belorussian government. All of Katechka’s actions were under close watch. She had been approached by the local officials on several occasions and was forced to answer questions about her involvement in discussions and debates that were deemed potentially anti-government. She was used to the monitoring of her expression. “We are definitely not in control of our own destinies. There is always someone watching, someone to worry about.” Katechka told me, frustrated.
After our discussion, I kept picturing Katechka and her interrogation as I considered the limitations placed on her freedom to say what she wants and to be who she wants. Facing the threat of expulsion or imprisonment, she continues to fight, with the goal of living in a truly democratic country serving as her motivation. And, like Kate, Kent, Juan, or Mercedes, Katechka’s fight for expression has been a significant part of forming her identity. Still, there is that invisible ceiling regulating her decisions and direction. She relayed the urgency for gaining the freedom to express herself and the care with which this right must be handled.
It is the space for expression to which Aflodis referred that Katechka is fighting so diligently and carefully for—a space that it seemed necessary for Kent, Kate, Mercedes, and Juan to free up as well. The need is universally human; the freedom clearly is not. The space for expression we are constantly attempting to open and keep open is elusive, intangible, indefinable, and ever-changing, as boundaries surrounding this freedom are set up and broken down. It is a delicate space, one which must be celebrated and used, as freedom of expression goes hand in hand with freedom of thought and freedom of identity. Just as we celebrate this space and continue to fight for the right to inquire, to express, to expose, it is important to acknowledge the power that accompanies expression—power that can build or destroy, unite or divide. Or, as Aflodis said during our interview, “The people have to understand that words are powerful. Thoughts are powerful. If you are able to use these as powerful things, then you can respond to what is happening around you.”
[1] — Poster made by participants at IDEA International Youth Forum on the topic of Hate Speech. July 30, 2007.
[2] — All quotes by Aflodis in this essay are taken from an interview with Aflodis Kagaba. August 1, 2007.
[3] — J.B. Bury, A History of Freedom of Thought (New York: Idebate Press, 2007), 78.
[3] — J.B. Bury, A History of Freedom of Thought (New York: Idebate Press, 2007), 78.
[4] — All quotes and information in this section are taken from an interview with Kent Fielding. August 13, 2007.
[5] — All quotes and information in this section are taken from an interview with Mercedes Pagan. August 15, 2007.
[7] — All quotes and information in this section taken from an interview with Juan Garcia. August 21, 2007.
[8] — All quotes and information in this section taken from an interview with Kate Hamm. August 20, 2007.
[9] — All quotes and information in this section taken from an interview with a Belorussian student who wishes to remain anonymous. July 2, 2007.
References
- Anonymous. 2007. Interview by author. 1 August.
- Bury, J.B. 2007. A History of Freedom of Thought. New York: Idebate Press.
- Fielding, Kent. 2007. Interview by author. 13 August,.
- Garcia, Juan. 2007. Interview by author. 21 August.
- Hamm, Kate. 2007. Interview by author. 20 August.
- Kagaba, Aflodis. 2007. Interview by author. 1 August.
- Pagan, Mercedes. 2007. Interview by author. 15 August.