Are you oppressed?

In America today, you have many different groups that will get worked up over any perceived slight and proclaim how they are being oppressed by (take your pick) the government, organizations, clubs, etc. A great deal of angst and gnashing of teeth will ensue with the aggrieved party proclaiming their "right" to do whatever it was they were doing and were told no. As has been discussed in the past, most people in America have it SO good, they don't know what to do with themselves. This coupled with the need to "make a difference" results in grandiose overstatements of problems that "must be solved". As Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit is fond of saying "I will believe it is a problem when the people that say it is a problem, act like it is a problem."

This, now this is a problem. 6 Iranians filmed a little video of them dancing and joking around to Pharrell Williams' song "Happy". You can watch the entire video and see that they are just having some fun. Nothing obscene or lewd takes place. See for yourself...

The group were arrested in May 2014, a month after their video— part of a global campaign launched by pop star Pharrell Williams — was viewed by more than 100,000 people on YouTube. During their incarceration, they were humiliated and forced to confess on national television. They apologized for making the video, and said they had been tricked into doing it. After the confession they were released on bail.

For this act of whimsy, the 6 involved were incarcerated until they confessed, then sentenced to six months in prison and to receiving 91 lashes. Another individual involved was sentenced to 1 year in prison and to receive 91 lashes. All of the sentences were suspended and the 7 put on 3 years probation. If they transgress for any reason within the three year period, they are subject not only to the punishment for the new crime but the punishment of the suspended sentence as well.

That is what oppression looks like. Convicted of having fun without a trial, held until they confessed, and open to jail time and a beating.