Kid: wow. . Dad! . . . Did you see that?
Dad: Hey, kid close your eyes, these women are insaneKid: But, but . . . but, why are they naked?
Dad: They are insane. Never mind why they are naked, just don’t worry about them.
Kid: Well, I am a bit worried because that's Mom with the huge banner.
Dad: What the %#*$#
- THE END -
Forget Twitter and Facebook. In the world of citizen activism and public outcries, this one is off the charts, at least climbing quickly off it. What on earth will force hundreds of women to pour out in the streets to make their point, topless?
Their slogan: - "Our God is woman, our mission is protest, our weapons are bare breasts."
A little different from typical protest chants, but this may very well be the last resort when ‘normal’ platforms have proven inept. Point is, ordinary citizens in Ukraine have cried for years and sought accountability from politicians for years, and after a while, people are forced to rely on whatever peaceful asset they have.
In America and elsewhere, we write letters to Congressmen, and join Tea Party rallies. In Egypt, Iran and Tunisia, people protest en masse showing their displeasure with songs and stones and just about anything else. In India and Myanmar, people set themselves on fire. In Nigeria, citizens burn oil fields and take political hostages, but in Ukraine, naked women take to the city streets with breasts and poster-boards.
In America and elsewhere, we write letters to Congressmen, and join Tea Party rallies. In Egypt, Iran and Tunisia, people protest en masse showing their displeasure with songs and stones and just about anything else. In India and Myanmar, people set themselves on fire. In Nigeria, citizens burn oil fields and take political hostages, but in Ukraine, naked women take to the city streets with breasts and poster-boards.
Well, not everyone can boast of such trump card, so the women of Femen, Ukraine's topless female protest movement, are pulling their ‘tarjeta ultimo’.
Before you go on your moral crusade, let’s all step back for a moment and wonder, do they have a valid agenda? The creative women group has brought attention to important social issues for years. They first showed up in 2008 to protest sex tourism in Ukraine, and perhaps to bring global attention to something that’s often swept under political rugs, in favor of “important issues” like taxes and more taxes.
The other interesting thought here, Ukraine is not the first (certainly not the last) to see President Viktor Yanukovych appoint a cabinet all of whom are men, and not even one woman for political goodwill purposes. I don’t expect the Femens to morph into a political party anytime soon, but for now, they have proven that genuine passion is still alive in politics and there is always a platform to campaign (or protest).
I am in no business to criticize their nude strategy, because the very fact that we are talking about it means it is gaining the attention they needed. The Femens believe that the best way to make their voice heard is through sheer bare-chested brazenness, and unfortunately sometimes that’s the only way to get male dominated politics society pay attention.
I don’t see this as be the beginning of neo-activism around the world, but every person has a right to be free, or speak up, or protest peacefully, regardless of style and fashion.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit, if I had to choose between violent politics and sexy politics, I will forever choose the latter. My reasoning is simple; option B gets your message across much quicker.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit, if I had to choose between violent politics and sexy politics, I will forever choose the latter. My reasoning is simple; option B gets your message across much quicker.
