How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Ban

Ban Everything, Boys!

They censored sexual content and violence in the movies and on the tele. Sure, I was all for it. After all, the people that got off on that kind of stuff knew how to get their fill anyways. And if this was going to keep the Youth of our country from becoming violent sexual deviants, then why not, right?
It didn't affect me anyways, since I was not into that kind of thing, so I didn't worry...

Then they suppressed free speech, but hey, someone had to shut those impudent bastards up, right? I mean if you just left people to their own devices, we'd descend into absolute anarchy, right? Besides wasn't that how the Holocaust happened? Either ways I wasn't very politically inclined, nor was I about to make a noise about anything, so I didn't worry...

They criminalized Homosexuality. Hell, I didn't understand it, but if they say that it was a social menace and that it needed to be done away with, they were probably right. Right? I mean the whole world was moving in the other direction when it came to Homosexuality, but maybe they had their reasons. Anyway, I was a red blooded heterosexual, and this didn't interfere with my life, so I didn't worry...

Then they began to make the country unsafe for women. They raped and murdered the young and old alike. They blamed it on everything from raging hormones to chow mein to Western culture to technology. I got with the program of being all enraged for a while, but so long as it wasn't affecting me or my loved ones, it was all cool, right? Shit, I hope so! I truly do. So I didn't worry...

Then they went and banned Beef in our country. I mean I was angry at first, but then like the rest of the country I settled back into my apathy, because it wasn't like I ate beef all that much anyways. The  ill effects of red meat and all, y'know. So long as I still had my beloved Goan fish curry rice, with pork sorpotel and some sausages and chicken every once in a while, men! Why complain? So I didn't worry...

They created division among religions and communities. They branded the Muslims as terrorists and started hate campaigns against them and massacred them in hordes. They burnt down the Christian's churches and raped and murdered their faithful without batting an eyelid. They tried to rewrite the secularism out of the Constitution of our country. But this was still far away from home right? I wasn't particularly religious, and I wasn't in any immediate danger, hopefully... I was fine (for now), wasn't I? So I didn't worry...

They normalized caste and gender oppression. They said that a woman has no place in our culture and that she should not be out after hours, least of all with a man who was only her friend. They dictated how we had to live our lives, impugning on our personal rights and stifling every last ounce of our freedom. But this didn't change my life, did it? I wasn't a woman or part of the lower castes, so I was still free to live as I pleased. So I didn't worry...

They finally came for me. But why was there nobody to stand up and fight with me? I mean wasn't anyone else offended by the sorry state of affairs in the country? Wouldn't anyone champion my cause?

Then it struck me. It had all started with a simple ban. A tiny curtailing of a right here. A small snipping of a freedom there. A little change in a law that really affected no one but a small section of the common man. But all these miniscule changes that I was so apathetic to... they slowly sapped this great nation, taking away the fundamental rights of the people, and their ability to even raise their voice as a collective. 

Now, as much as I detest it, I have no choice in the matter. Lord, how I detest the day that I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Ban!