Pussy Riot Documentary

March 12, 2013



Last night I saw an HBO documentary about the Russian punk band, Pussy Riot. I've talked about them in the past but this bears repeating. I had to DVR this because it was on too late for me. Yes 9 PM is too late for me to watch a show especially because it was mostly subtitled. Close your eyes for a second and you lose the whole point. Anyway this was very enlightening.


I tend to think of places like Russia as very repressive but not a lot about how the citizens view their daily lives. Because we enjoy so many freedoms (more about that later) I didn't give much thought to how others handle their lack of such privileges.


Pussy Riot is not a band I would ever enjoy. The "music" I heard was abrasive and discordant. But the three members who were arrested are intelligent and well spoken. They were passionate in their beliefs about their homeland. Two of them have small children at home. They were sentenced to two years in a penal colony for their "crime" of free expression. One of them recently was released on a technicality and she is continuing with the band's form of protest. I was amazed by the very thoughtful statements they gave at their trials.


I don't think I could ever have done what those girls are accomplishing. Even now, after hearing about the tapping of phones and phone records, I cannot not muster enough of a protest to make a difference. Oh Barack, I am so disappointed. I LOVE my freedoms and want to be protected from terrorists. I willingly succumb to pocketbook searches, metal detectors, and being patted down at the airport. But this is too much. Are we willing to give up so much to feel safe? And is it really necessary to do so?