Umberto Eco,
Italy’s world famous novelist (The Name of the Rose), essayist and
sociologist, Doctor Honoris at dozens of world universities and winner of
dozens of major literary prizes, addressed the letter below to the promoters of
a July 8 manifestation on Rome’s Piazza Navona against the Italian government
of Silvio Berlusconi. The letter was published on July 2 in Italy’s major
newspaper, La Repubblica.
Less one fail to
take seriously the reports coming out of Italy regarding the status of its
democracy since the election last April of today’s neo-Fascist dominated
government, I am pleased to add this testimony from one of the nation’s most
authoritative voices.
The minority
has the duty is to
protest
Dear Friends,
While expressing
my solidarity with your manifesation, I would hope that it will serve to recall
two points which one is often tempted to forget:
- Democracy does not mean that the
majority is right. It means that the majority has the right to govern.
- Democracy does not mean that the
minority is wrong. It means that while it respects the government of the
majority, it expreses itself each time it believes the majority is wrong
or believes that it (the majority) is performing acts against the laws,
against morality and the very principles of democracy, and it must do this
always and with the utmost energy because this is the mandate it (the
minority) has received from citizens. When the majority claims it is
always right and the minority does not dare to react, democracy is in
danger.
Umberto Eco
July 2, 2008
Gaither
Stewart is a senior contributing editor at Cyrano's Journal Online. Originally
from Asheville, NC. he has lived his adult life in Germany and Italy,
alternated with residences in The Netherlands, France, Mexico, Argentina and
Russia. After a career in journalism as a correspondent for the Rotterdam
newspaper, Algemeen Dagblad, he began writing fiction. His collections of short
stories, "Icy Current Compulsive Course, To Be A Stranger" and
"Once In Berlin" are published by Wind River Press. His new novel,
"Asheville," is published by www.Wastelandrunes.com.
He lives with his wife, Milena, in Rome, Italy. E-mail: gaither.stewart@yahoo.it.
