You Might Be Lucky

Because you might be lucky.

by Wendy Elizabeth Horikoshi on Sunday, 16 October 2011 at 12:44

A couple of days ago, I had to head off to a painful interview with immigration, out in Shinagawa, on Gilligan's Island.  They have a jail conveniently located at the top of the building, for Gaijin who are in violation of any kind of visa law.  No trial or jury. If they find any mistakes in your visa, your mistakes or theirs, you have a good chance of being incarcerated, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars, or have time to tell your nearest and dearest.

Go directly to jail.

The place creeps me out.  I am not a criminal, have never been in jail, I have always been employed and I pay my taxes.  Just being non Japanese inside this building gives you a highly elevated sense of how much the Japanese government hates you being here.

As I got off the bus, there was a very loud, very obstructive protest going on in front of the building.  The place was saturated with noise.  It was ear splitting, and I could not for the life of me understand just what they were saying, or even what the protest was about.

They screamed through mega phones, they waved hand made signs in our faces, they blocked most or the front entrance off.  The cops were not seen to be in attendance.

I remember thinking if it was a bunch of Gaijin making that much noise, the cops would be all over us like ants on a jam sandwich.  The protesters were all young Japanese people.  They were very angry about something.  I am pretty sure it didn't concern me.

It's a few days later now, and I have had a think about that protest.  They were left in peace to shout their anger and outrage against something that clearly affected their lives.  They were not called idiots, or insulted or arrested, or manhandled.  They were not corralled by the cops, tasered or tear gassed.

It just so happens, that for the most part here in Japan, people have the right to protest things they don't like, or don't agree with, and want to register their discontent about.  Protest is a potent social outlet of anger and a sign of public disharmony.

So, I feel kind of lucky to live here, in a place where you have a good chance of NOT being beaten or jailed for making a public statement about your feelings in the form of protest marches and rallies.

I may never know exactly what those people were protesting.

That's OK, as I said, it probably didn't really concern me.  Even if I don't agree with whatever it was, I still support their right to show their disgruntlement.  I notice in today's news, and on lots of peoples twitter and Facebook feeds, that calling the protesters names, trying to make out that one whole group of people that they disagree with are stupid, or uneducated or crazy and do not deserve anyone's attention seems to be a new sport.

Journalists, who are supposed to be unbiased, have lowered themselves to a level of name calling and character assassination.  They either have no shame in showing their vast political bias, or they tow the company line to a sycophantic level.

It amazes me how in the year 2011 people seemed to have stopped trying to think for themselves, and that's a worry.


I have seen it when people speak out about the Tea party.  If that many people are alarmed at the political direction of a country, then why are they not given any respect? I have seen just as many people want everyone to dismiss and ignore the Occupy Wall street rally.  The police have turned violent at that one.

Why ?

ALL of these people felt so strongly about their concerns, that they went out to protest.  They organized friends and family to register their worry publicly.  Yet the ridicule they have received in the media is astonishing.  Authorities have been very strict in trying to shut down the Wall Street rally in particular.

Protests in the past few years, about things like gay marriage (for or against) abortion, the ordination of gay priests and female clergy, prayers and hot lunches in schools, bullying, freedom for Tibet, and internet censorship by Governments, have all been given media coverage and people refrained from personal attacks on the protesters themselves.  No one called them names in the networked news shows, or insulted them to their faces in interviews.  People debated the issues in question.  This seems to have gone right out the window.  Insults and name calling does not equal calm debate.  Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. The best reply to unseemly behavior and insult  is patience and moderation.  But that dosen't make ratings, it seems.

If you live in a place where you have a right to protest, then you are lucky.  Many don't.
I regret not finding out what those people were protesting about outside of Immigration.
If you see a protest about something, take the time to ask the people about it.

Question yourself everyday.

Make sure you think for yourself, and  KNOW why you have the convictions you do.  The only way to do that, is to listen to another side of the story, even if it isn't one you agree with.  ESPECIALLY if it isn't one you agree with.

If you are surrounded by like-minded friends and Yes-Men all the time, how will you know your arguments for your beliefs will endure logical debate?

Put away your generalizations and your petty insults.  Turn off the network news programs.

Have your opinions been challenged lately? Or do you sit behind your PC/TV in your own little comfort zone?