Socio-Political Rants.
I know much has been made of “Of the sixty nominees, Yan is the only Hong Kong person to be nominated of this award,” (To quote the Interviewer.)
And I appreciate it every time someone mentions this fact to me or elsewhere.
But I do want to say, which I did in the interview (it didn’t air) as well personally is:
I am not here to “beat,” or “Compete,” with the 59 blogs. There is no real “Competition,” between us because none of us are working against each other. In fact we’re all working towards the same thing together. We are a team. All of us in our own way are trying to “Defend the Right of Free Expression,” through the blogging medium.
“Winning” means that the tenants of free speech in so entrenched in every corner of the world that we won’t fear it being taken away. “Winning” means no one goes to jail for their thoughts and actions, their writing and art because the government feels them to a threat. “Winning,” means we have a free press, free thought, and freedom to gather.
No one should be proud that a Hong Kong person is on the list because she writes about the democratic movement and defend cyber dissidents. We should be sad because I actually have something to write about.
“Winning,” is the day when Glutter cease to exists, Reporters Without Borders cease to Exists, as with the 59 other blogs. Not because we gave up, got put in jail, blocked or censored, but because we simply do not need to exist. Why? because we won our rights, for us and everyone else.
Yan Sham-Shackleton Online 
Something tells me you already won. Have you?
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Something in this reminds me though, of Jefferson’s immortal words, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”
In other words, I hope for a day when we’re free, every last one of us, no matter where we are in the world, under a bill of rights so deeply enshrined that the thought of abrogating them is anathema. But I know that we will still have need of people to watch the guardians, to paraphrase from Plato.
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I think “winning” means that free speech advocates will need to find another social dilemma that needs to be addressed.
I’m pleased that I’ve had the opportunity to get to know you, as much as is possible via weblog. Can’t say that I’m “proud,” per se. But I do bear tremendous respect for you, even when I disagree with your points of view. I think this website, and you personally, should win said award, for more reasons than I have time to list.
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as hk said, you have already won, regardless- your victory is in this achievement.
“drink your tea with reverence, without rushing towards the future”, to paraphrase the vietnamese zen monk thich nat hahn.
protect it, nourish it- be eternally vigilant…
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