MOSCOW shows lack of culture ....

To the SF Bay Times:

Two cops stand in front of Nikolai Alekseyev, blocking his way.
The cops look askance at the photographer,
as tho they'd rather not appear on film.
Alekseyev looks at the cops. He has set his mouth to show no emotion;
but his narrowed eyes
seem to reveal caution, with perhaps a tinge of contempt.
Like Dr. King and Harvey Milk before him, he knows that he may be assassinated --
and that his cause will outlive him.
When I show this photo to my dear friend "GayLen" (the gay Leninist),
he blurts out, "Bring back the Soviet Union!"
Really? WHICH phase of Soviet history? There was a BRIEF period of sexual liberalism at first, under Lenin, including easy divorce. Then Stalin restored sexual repression, in most matters.
As for dissenters, the Soviet secret police used to simply make them disappear.
Now, even tho Alekseyev cannot lead his march,
he's able to confront the police in public.
Tho Russia's current "democracy" has limits, he still has more freedom than a citizen of Stalinist China,
or of most Arab states.
And the Russian press is free to report on this issue.


To me, this blocked parade looks like Russia's Stonewall. After centuries of Tsarism, followed by many decades of secular dictatorship, Russians are just beginning to learn the democratic arts of tolerance and nonviolent negotiation.
Progress will be difficult, but freedom CAN be achieved.


Tortuga Bi Liberty,
San Franhattan
Memorial Monday 2006

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PS 1: The photo described above, by Agence France-Presse,
appears in NY Times, 28 May 2006, Sunday.


PS 2: Here's another view,
which I found AFTER I wrote the letter above:

http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=3325

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