Taking Liberties: Do People Have Rights?

By Garrett Edward Godwin

In the film adaptation of the comic book V for Vendetta, the masked mysterious avenger known as V tells his protégé Every that people shouldn't be afraid of governments, but governments should be afraid of people.

"If I died", stated writer Rachel North, "I wouldn't want the Constitution to be shredded on my behalf." She is one of the several survivors of the 7/7 attacks on London, as well as several people interviewed in the film, Taking liberties, which can be seen on YouTube.

The film shows the aftermaths of the 2005 attacks under the leadership of Tony Blair, who "wasn't a politician; he was a movie star". Despite what has happened, he said, both society's values and the people's haven't changed. Still, he has stated that "rules of the game are changing". "If any terrorist act happen to this country", Blair goes on, "they're going to be saying, 'Are you sure it was tough enough?'"

Under Blair's government, several laws were passed that violates basic liberties such as freedom of speech, which is defined as listening to what others don't want to hear.

"They think they control public opinion" one man said. "[But] They don't."

Freedom of speech also includes the right of assembly, which is what Justice Not Vengeance representatives Maya Evans and Milan Rai did -- as part of a memorial service in honor of British and Iraqi soldiers that died in the Iraq War. However, they were arrested and branded in the press as "War Criminals".

"If people do not have free speech, the right to assembly", said novelist/Observer columnist Henry Porter, "they don't have the right to examine their government. We should be able to demonstrate and to protest and to bring our grievances to the center of political power without a policeman's permission."

The 9/11 attacks gave Blair the chance to speak to the world with George W. Bush at Crawford, Texas in the spring of 2002. The U.S. President even compliments his counterpart. "The world is grateful for all that Great Britain [is doing] in the war against terrorism" Bush stated.

However, not everyone on the other side of the Atlantic don't agree.

"[The attacks] are changing" North said. "It's not the terrorism; it's the government." Still, North has stated that people shouldn't "panic; its okay". "900 people kept calm, look after each other" she goes on. "Thousands other people want to help us. London got back to work the following day. We haven't had any 7/7 since; it's durable."

Is it really durable? That question can be answered when watching Taking liberties at YouTube.

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