“I sometimes read that it's time for German democracy to finally grow up. I don't see it as a sign of maturity if we treat military missions as something normal.” IfsSometimesGrowsGrowing UpDemocracyMilitaryNormalTreatsMissionsMaturity Author:Guido Westerwelle
“In a normal democracy, you protect the individual from the excessive power of the state. In Turkey, power elites try to protect the state - as if this state were fragile and needed protection - when in fact, it's too powerful already.” IfsTryingStatesFactsIndividualPowerfulDemocracyNeededProtectNormalProtectionFragileElitesTurkeys Author:Elif Safak
“Millions of people are unable to vote due to felony convictions with the highest rates among black men. People in prison are denied the right to vote in 48 states, and while we accept that as normal in the United States, in other western democracies people in prison do have the right to vote.” PeopleMenStatesBlackUnitedAcceptingMillionsUnited StatesDemocracyNormalHighestVotePrisonWesternRateConvictionDuesDeniedRight To VoteFelony Author:Michelle Alexander
“There was a free election in Palestine, but it came out the wrong way. So instantly, the United States and Israel with Europe tagging along, moved to punish the Palestinian people, and punish them harshly, because they voted the wrong way in a free election. That's accepted here in the West as perfectly normal. That illustrates the deep hatred and contempt for democracy among western elites, so deep-seated they can't even perceive it when it's in front of their eyes. You punish people severely if they vote the wrong way in a free election.” PeopleIfsWayStatesEyeUnitedUnited StatesDemocracyFrontsNormalEuropeHatredVoteElectionMovedWestWesternIsraelAcceptedPerceiveContemptElitesPalestinianPalestineWrong WayPerfectly NormalFree Elections Author:Noam Chomsky
“Israel was born under the British mandate. We learned from the British what democracy means, and how it behaves in a time of danger, war and terror. We thank Britain for introducing freedom and respect of human rights both in normal and demanding circumstances.” HumansMeanWarBornDemocracyRightsDangerCircumstancesNormalHuman RightsTerrorIsraelBritishBehaveBritainIntroducingMandates Author:Shimon Peres
“Everybody has a right to be defended, and every lawyer has a duty to defend people accused. And my office is to defend him, to discuss the accusation point by point, as I think this is a normal step in a democracy.” PeopleThinkingStepsDemocracyDutyOfficeNormalLawyerAccusedAccusationBeing Accused Author:Jacques Verges
“If no one had ever challenged religious authority, there’d be no democracy, no public schools, women’s rights, improvements to science and medicine, evolution of slavery and no laws against child abuse or spousal abuse. I was afraid to challenge my religious beliefs because that was the basis of creation—mine anyway. I was afraid to question the Bible or anything in it, and when I did, that’s when I became involved with PFLAG and realized that my son was a perfectly normal human being and there was nothing for God to heal because Bobby was perfect just the way he was.” IfsWayHumansChildrenSchoolLawBeliefChallengesReligiousHuman BeingsPerfectDemocracyRightsCreationMinesSonEvolutionInvolvedAuthorityNormalAbuseBasesSlaveryMedicineImprovementHealMy SonChild AbuseWomens RightsPublic SchoolReligious BeliefPerfectly Normal Author:Mary Griffith