Just finished watching HBO's documentary on Pussy Riot. I feel much more informed and safe to say they are the coolest feminists I know and they make me feel proud of my generation. The actual name of this punk band incites linguistic, sexual and corporal rebellion against patriarchy, gender inequality and sexuality that currently dominate our societies. I'm proud they took a stand for themselves in their own ways. And I hope they can be released soon so they can continue spreading their art to us. I wanted to share a section of Nadya Tolokonnikova's closing statement because I loved it and it rings true to many other persecuted activists around the world:
"Essentially, it is not three singers from Pussy Riot who are on trial here. If that were the case, what’s happening would be totally insignificant. It is the entire state system of the Russian Federation which is on trial and which, unfortunately for itself, thoroughly enjoys quoting its cruelty towards human beings, its indifference to their honour and dignity, the very worst that has happened in Russian history to date. To my deepest regret, this mock trial is close to the standards of the Stalinist troikas. Thus, we have our investigator, lawyer and judge. And then, what’s more, what all three of them do and say and decide is determined by a political demand for repression. Who is to blame for the performance at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and for our being put on trial after the concert? The authoritarian political system is to blame. What Pussy Riot does is oppositional art or politics that draws upon the forms art has established. In any event, it is a form of civil action in circumstances where basic human rights, civil and political freedoms are suppressed by the corporate state system."
Remember Inaction is what keep us conformed to these standards of living, and that is the worst kind of living. We should want more, think more, analyze more, love more, criticize more!