FeedIn a FREE world
Sunday, September 23 2007
In a Free world there is tolerance for those who speak against this Freedom.
We have some friends visiting from overseas and they found out that there was a Festival in Chinatown here in SF. The Chinatown here in SF is rather authentic and quite similar to Shanghai, that we have visited on a holiday. London’s Chinatown is awful and v touristy btw.
It was not that much of what I call a Festival, more like an excuse to trade. But what did impress me was this banner, telling us what the occasion was.
Celebrate the 58th Anniversary of the Foundation of the People’s Republic of China.
Somehow I don’t see there will be an anniversary festival of the founding of the United States of America in China 
Plz note that I, accidentally, managed to get the Flags of the US and California in this picture too!
It is impressive to see this celebration being allowed to take place, and I am so sure if this could be done in all of the countries in the Western World.
After walking down the street, I saw this woman carrying a sign for Falun Gong, a movement against the current administration in China.
Again, this is a fantastic display of Freedom of Speech and Expression.
Freedom of Speech is above anything and anyone; No Person, No organisation, No Country, No Government and NO RELIGION are above Freedom of Speech.
As expected, there was some weird stuff at this Festival - my pic are over at my Flickr in the normal random order of Flickr 
but here is some best bits.
September 25th, 2007 at 16:49
But do you think it is real freedom what we have even if this kind of cellebrations are permitted? I would like lots of people to share your idea about freedom of speech
September 25th, 2007 at 17:55
I believe that this festival being allowed is a good sign of Freedom of Speech but it is not the ultimate critera.
Freedom of Speech is really quite simple right, either you have it or you don’t. But in the world we are living in the grey scale is getting greyer and unclear.
October 6th, 2007 at 20:40
China has spoken against the Myanmar Junta. Which in itself is very surprising.
And I don’t see even India is gonna allow a big american celebration in its soil. I mean there r a lot of celebration right now happeneing here but they r of low scale so no one bothers. However, i kno Indian Independence day celebration is big in India and China.
Double standards.
October 6th, 2007 at 20:58
Yeah most countries have double standards … incl US but I thought it was rather good with celebration of the creation of Chinese communist state in the US.
It should also be said that San Francisco is THE liberal city of the US