Umm, Where the Hell is the UN?

Maybe it's just me being cynical or for lack of a better term "American," but am I the only one who finds it weird that Iran was able to count over 38 million ballots in just a few hours whereas the State of Minnesota is still trying to figure out how many votes Al Franken beat Norm Coleman by…some 200-plus days ago?

Putting that question aside, why isn't the UN stepping up and demanding that the crackdowns against the citizens of Iran cease immediately? More importantly why isn't the President and his fellow counterparts all over the world asking the same of the UN?

I asked this because while I think we should all stand with the citizens of Iran who clearly have been robbed of a fair and democratic election process, I think we're having the wrong conversation.  I don't know if it's really our place to be calling for an investigation into last week's election.  Especially given our credibility regarding fair elections…but I digress.  The shootings and beatings of protesters must stop immediately.  And every world leader should be screaming at the top of his or her lungs until they do.

If the election was truly fair and a sign that Iran has turned a page, then why not allow the citizens to protest?  Why bar your citizensfrom using the Internet to post their thoughts and to communication with those outside the country through websites like Facebook and Twitter? Why jail opposition leaders for speaking out?

If the United States and the other counties of the world continue to let the protest crackdowns continue, then we're all just as guilty as those ordering the crackdowns, because when it comes to denying human rights and freedoms — being silent is just as criminal.