Whisper

[talonkarrde]

This is the Voice of Freedom, broadcasting from an undisclosed location, giving you your daily source of unfiltered truth, free from the enemy propaganda machine.

Today, I bring bad news.

Seventeen resistance fighters were killed in an ambush yesterday afternoon in one of our smaller cities, by the mountains. The enemy faked a distress signal from a friendly source and when our brave men and women went to save the victims of aggression, they were slaughtered, mowed down like animals without being given a chance to surrender or negotiate. We do not know how many they were able to attack, but we know that we are seventeen fewer today than yesterday.

We will remember them, and their sacrifice, forever.

But this is the third time that we have attempted to fight back, my friends, my fellow citizens, and this is the third time that the enemy has simply crushed us. It destroys all that it sees, relentlessly, and we are not better off for having stood up to be slaughtered.

We must stop this senseless waste. But before you condemn me for daring to say that we must not rise up against those who take our freedoms from us, I say this: there is nothing to be gained by being crushed by the enemy. Their forces will destroy every resistance camp we have, as they did every army base coming in. They are strong, and they are numerous, and they hate us as much as we hate them.

Instead, I say, wait.

Living under occupation is not easy, my friends, my fellow citizens. I understand the rage at the thoughts of the atrocities they have committed, the assaults and the robberies that go unpunished, the crimes against humanity that the world ignores. I understand the chafing that each and every one of you must feel when you see the tanks rolling into your suburbs, when you see the soldiers order you to humiliate yourself.

I understand the desire to be rid of them completely, and absolutely, and forever.

But we must crawl before we stand, my countrymen. We must have more support, and we must be sure that the country is behind us and ready to ignite when we strike the match. So do this: instead of fighting the opposition, safe your arms and keep them until the time comes. Instead of shooting them, lay into them with words — they may beat you, but for every attack they commit in front of your neighbors, another will rise and join us.

It will be a slow battle, but however slow it may be, it is certain. For while they may be able to kill our freedom fighters, our brave warriors ten and twenty at a time, there are too many of us and too few of them to kill us all, if we rise at once.  And that is what we must do — bide our time, and gather those to our banner, and provoke and incite but never come out to do open battle.

 

And finally, when the time is ready — and you will know when the time is ready, for I will be here to lead you — we will turn our whispers into a roar, and we will light the fire that will purge these invaders from the land. It will not matter whether the international community believes us, as long as our fellow citizens believe us and rise up with us, with any support they can give. For everyone one that has a gun, there may be five that do not, but those five will send fear into the enemy, and those five will snatch up the gun when the one falls.

One day, our homeland will be free, and we will be victorious. But that is not today, my friends; today, we must learn to whisper before we can roar. So whisper the truth to your friends, your coworkers, your family, and let them spread, and know that the day will come. 

This is the Voice of Freedom. Goodnight, and good luck.





//


A/N: Inspired partially by Homefront (one of the newest video games, which supposes a Korean invasion and occupation of America), I wondered what it would be like being the sole voice of all resistance forces, especially early on in an occupation where victory is completely impossible.

 

And then I drifted away from thinking of America as the setting, and took out all geographical references to represent it, and wondered if there was, indeed, someone out there saying this right now — but against us. As it's said, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter; as it's said, all wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers.

Comments

[similiesslip.livejournal.com]

Wow, this line is just amazing and true:

one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter; as it's said, all wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers.

You're really making me think!

[talon.livejournal.com]

-grins- I try, sometimes

[shadowwolf13]

Very nicely done!

[talon.livejournal.com]

thank you!

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

A very thought provoking entry. In fact, I think it could've almost been an intersection with beldar's entry, which explores a similar theme, though more in terms of negative than positive effects. It's a good contrast.

[talon.livejournal.com]

ooh, yes, that was a very interesting entry as well. Thanks!

[mstrobel.livejournal.com]

Man, that was fascinating :D Powerful stuff indeed.

[talon.livejournal.com]

:D Thank you, dear.

[basric.livejournal.com]

The winners of wars write the history books. Great rebel leaders fighting for freedom, Like Fidel Castro in Cuba become tomorrows horrific dictators.

Your piece is well written.

[talon.livejournal.com]

Quite. All history (that we're taught, at least) must be similarly tainted; I wonder what it would do to the collective egos of all countries if we could go back and see events as they actually happened, instead of as the victors painted them to exist.

Thanks!

[isis-lives.livejournal.com]

Extremely well done. I enjoy your writing. Havebto say I'm a bit surprised it was inspired by a video game, but I'm, ummmm, old?

[talon.livejournal.com]

-chuckles- I think a lot of media begs, borrows, or outright steals from other media - and especially the younger platforms (games, comics) from the older ones (literature). The idea has been around for a while, I think, with some of the alternate-universe books by Harry Turtledove and others. This just happened to be the most recent time I stumbled upon it.

[momebie.livejournal.com]

This hits SO MANY of my buttons. Revolution! Occupation! Resistance! Rebels! But it was also well done. Thank you. ♥

[talon.livejournal.com]

That appears to be a guy with an epee. I approve of your excellent usericon.

Oh, right, the post. Iiiiiii like /all/ of those things you mentioned. I will endeavour to hit more of your buttons? :P

[momebie.livejournal.com]

Thank you much, sir! I use him as a PB for one of the characters in a novel I'm working on. As well as this guy here. They are also revolutionaries. ;)

And thank you, good sir. I look forward to my buttons being pushed.

[myrna-bird.livejournal.com]

Very well done!

[talon.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[snarkerdoodle.livejournal.com]

I had wondered about halfway through if you'd made it generic (as to location) on purpose, before seeing your ending note -- it made it just that much more powerful, IMO. Great job!

[talon.livejournal.com]

Yeah - originally, I had it set in the Denver region, but as I kept writing, I realized how it could be applied to Kabul and Tripoli and more, and so actually went back to strip all those references out.

Thank you!

[soprano1790.livejournal.com]

I love this. Very awesome take on the topic. It reminds me of one of the epic Churchill speaches during WWII or something.

[talon.livejournal.com]

:D Yayyyyy epic speeches!

[locknkey.livejournal.com]

I really liked this. :)

[talon.livejournal.com]

Thank you!