The statement above is one of the thousands of tweets (Twitter updates) on Twitter at #Iranelection. You have to admire people who are living in a dictatorship and risking their lives to try and tell the world what is going on in their country. Twitter only allows you 140 characters to update your status on that social networking site.
During the last couple of days, if you haven’t heard, hundred of thousands Iranians are protesting what they feel is a rigged Presidential election. They are doing their best to keep the demonstrations peaceful but have been attacked & shot at by the government police. The government has basically shut down the web, TV stations, etc. Outside journalists are not allowed in the streets to film or talk to people. However, free speech is not so easily destroyed. Social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook & Flickr are still available in Iran because they are run from outside the country. The Iranians have been getting the news out through those outlets.
The title of this post got me thinking. What would I say, what would you say, if you only had 140 characters to get a message out before your freedom of speech was completely taken away? (Excluding goodbye to loved ones.)
Think about it and get back to me. I’ll post mine in a couple of days.