Some people have questioned my switch from “gobblegobbleturkeygobble” at blogspot to “me, myself and story” at wordpress. Although my original motivation was rooted in navigate-ability, layout and possibility, the country in which I reside made the final decision for me–blogspot is now banned in Turkey. I worry about even writing this entry, that it may be seen by some as “insulting Turkishness,” which media such as blogspot and my beloved youtube allowed and exhibited, for which they were in turn outlawed.
Sites such as these, hand media over to the masses. And at times the masses disagree with those in power. And yes, also at times the masses come up with some asinine shit superimposing the heads of political figures onto animal bodies while they do various animal things. And yes at other times some masses post racist, classist, sexist, anti Semitic material. But as far as I understood my government class junior year in high school, if a democracy is a representative government of the people, by the people and for the people, well then it has to allow for all the people–even the dumb as shit, highly juvenile and often offensive people.
What strikes me as more compelling than this whole blog ban debacle, and the thousands of human rights infractions associated with this countries choice to deny freedom of speech to its people, is the phrase they use to name it: insulting Turkishness. Now, that’s just compelling. First, that there is such a thing as Turkishness; second that is insultable, that it has feelings which can be hurt; and third that as an idea its sooooo vulnerable that if it were to be insulted it would need the full power of the government and the military of Turkey to defend it…
I don’t know about you but something seems fishy to me…Something about honor, maybe its connection to the dominant religion here, the story of this countries forced modernization, something about a house of democracy built out of glass, something about the historical tension that seeps into common every day manifestations of leadership, authority and success in the workplace. Maybe I’m reaching here, but I’m pretty sure the demented abuse of power I witnessed over the past three months at the kindergarten I worked at is connected to this nationwide issue, which resulted in the move of my blog (and the quitting of my job).
That’s all I got for now, but its a lot to chew on…hmmmm Turkey.
