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as standard means of dealing with political dissidents. They arrest peaceful protesters, who are interred in secret prisons and interrogations centers.

Beginning in 2000 Iran began jailing reporters and editors and closing down newspapers. Many of the writers have fled the country or are in jail, making it difficult to get accurate reports of the conditions there. Human rights defenders are being held without charges, as America is doing in Guantanamo prison, now.

Alexander the Great ruled Persia in its glorious past, and created the first policy of protecting human rights. He would not believe what has become of his people, now, as the founders of our natiion would not believe how we have lost our rights in America. The interesting thing is that while we criticize their abuse of civil rights, we continue to relinquish ours.

I have watched the situation in Iran for most of my adult life. I will never understand them, but I wish them well in their search to find a peaceful way to live in the Twenty-first Century. I continue to stay in touch with people who have loved ones there. The sense in the country is that if the U.S. will stay ouy of the Region, Iran will eventually have a democratic form of government. The people of Iran are more terrified of U.S. involvement in their country than they are of the current regime's hold over them. Each time they feel threatened from the outside, they allow the government to remove more freedoms on the inside. They are very much fear-driven to avoid ever being under the influence of the U.S., after their experience with the Shah.

I was young, during the reign of the Shah, and I admit that I didn't see the revolution coming. I truly thought we were doing a good thing, bringing the country into the new era of industry and commerce, civil liberties and women's rights, but the people rejected that idea. Now, we need to communicate with them, but we need to quit threatening their way of life, or they may never come out of the darkness of fear and oppression. We do continue to buy their oil, however.

Sources: Primarily Wikipedia, for dates and spellings, some from personal observations and from reports from contacts in the area and other sources, too numerous to include, or even remember.

Learn more about this author, Will Kester.
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