Dissent and Democracy

In the United States, freedom of expression is a basic democratic principle. A lack of understanding was evident among Vietnamese activists in Little Saigon in their plan to burn Communist books during recent commemorations of the fall of Saigon. Fortunately, the book burning never occurred.

After the Fire Department warned of prosecution for those holding a bonfire without a permit, the protests turned to other symbolic, but less repugnant, demonstrations. As an alternative, books, magazines and music produced in Vietnam were tossed in trash cans to mark the 25th anniversary of the Communist victory. As an additional measure, rally organizers called for a boycott of items they considered propaganda. Those are more acceptable forms of dissent. As it happened, they resulted more from the Westminster fire code than from a true understanding of how democracy should work.

The passions of protesters are understandable because Vietnam remains a totalitarian society, with political prisoners, censorship and a lack of individual liberties. Yet it is important also for those fleeing dictators to recognize that their place of refuge is a land where ideas and ideologies are debated, not suffocated.

Last year, a shop owner in Little Saigon taunted his fellow Vietnamese by displaying the flag of Vietnam and a portrait of Ho Chi Minh in his store. Nightly picketing ensued, and there were occasional outbreaks of violence. Not long after, some activists demanded the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana remove artwork from Vietnam they considered offensive. After some temporizing, the Bowers kept the art on display. That was a good decision. Making the paintings accessible to all viewers provided a basis for discussion of the art and the country where it was produced.

Little Saigon is the heart of the world’s largest community of Vietnamese outside Vietnam. Anniversaries shine a spotlight on the 100,000 or so Vietnamese in Orange County and offer the opportunity to reach out. Backing off from book burning, which bears the imprint of dictatorship, demonstrates an understanding of the United States and a willingness to mesh with the larger Orange County community.