Freedom! Forever!

之前家玲告知我近幾天台灣發生的一切衝突之後，我才體會到事態的嚴重性。有的時候不用多想，直覺聯想到一些東西就足以讓自己為著眼前的事態感到憂慮難過。電影Gladitor有句台詞：There was a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper, it would vanish, it was so fragile.什麼時候我們的人身基本自由變得如此脆弱，如此不堪一擊？

連續兩年在London度過Guy Fawkes Day，這不是只有一天的煙火慶祝，Bonfire Night可以連續一個星期，有盛大的煙火，然而還有多少人記得或願意省思背後的意義？現在看到台灣的新聞，就會想到V for Vendetta的V所作的演講，每次看到這段必定感到agitated，並且重新提醒自己不要忘記什麼。以下取自Evey的部份開場白：We are told to remember the idea, not the man, because a man can fail. He can be caught, he can be killed and forgotten, but 400 years later, an idea can still change the world. I've witnessed first hand the power of ideas, I've seen people kill in the name of them, and die defending them...

More than four hundred years ago a great citizen wished to embed the fifth of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice, and freedom are more than words, they are perspectives.公平、正義與自由，我們將這些都視為太過理所當然，正因如此，我們忽視了它們究竟有多脆弱，可能在轉眼間就被奪走，換取我們所想要的「和平」。V說得好：The truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth to be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now high chancellor, Adam Sutler. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent.

每次想到Les Misérables，就會想：那已經是個我們無法體會的革命時代，我們無法再次擁抱那樣滿腔熱血且犧牲自我的意念，也許這個時代已經不需要了。我們擁有一切，期望和平不要戰爭，因為我們無法承受失去這一切的後果。People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.但事實是：並不是每個人民都看得清楚現狀。我只希望台灣不要走回頭路，我對於那個「民主要經歷兩次政黨輪替」的東西不是很熟，不過如果兩次政黨輪替後，又走回威權時代，那是怎樣？那政府根本也不用害怕人民了嘛。其實我是想罵現在政府的作為，怎麼搞得好像在罵人民？！

PS 寫文章的同時，正好在聽Tchaikovsky的1812 Overture，結尾正好聽到最後的加農砲！