Without Memory, There is no Future
My wife and I, along with two friends were in Lisbon for the first time earlier this month and walked down the Rue do Barao in the Alfama district. At Numero 23, we entered the Museu do Aljube Resitencia e Liberdade (Aljube Museum of Resistance and Liberty) and were instantly transported back a hundred years.
The museum is housed in Cadeia do Aljube, (Aljube Jail) in a building that dates back to the 16th Century. Originally constructed as the residence for an archbishop, the stone block structure functioned as a prison for most of its years: up to the mid-19th Century it was an ecclesiastic prison, through the early 20th Century a women’s prison, and from 1928 to 1965, it housed political prisoners who were a perceived threat to the dictatorship that ruled in Portugal from 1926 – 1974.
During these last 37 years, it housed up to 30,000 Portuguese citizens who were interrogated and tortured by the political police known as the PIDE (Policia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado) before being sent to longer-term prisons in Caxias or Peniche or the concentration camp Tarrafal in Cape Verde.
The authoritarian fascist regime that ran Portugal until as late as 1974 used censorship, persecution, torture, imprisonment and exile of political opponents to maintain its power. Rather than hide its ugly history, the current democratic leaders of Portugal realize the importance of recognizing what occurred before so that it can be prevented from happening again:
“For these intolerable practices to not be repeated; for the testimony of those who resisted to be valued and never lost; for the freedom that has been given to us isn’t put at risk, education is necessary for a conscious society.”
https://Getlisbon.com/discovering/museum-aljube/
While recalling the past, the Aljube Museum is as important now as ever. As I took in the vivid images of the of the ugly consequences of authoritarian rule, I was reminded that we cannot ignore the fact that the governor of Florida is banning instruction on issues of slavery, institutional racism, and sex/gender education and firing teachers who dare to oppose his policies. I could not help but recall the attacks on the media that 45 waged relentlessly. I was reminded that GOP-led state governments are moving to remove women’s rights to choose an abortion and are narrowing, not expanding the right to vote in free and fair elections. I thought about the rise of white nationalism and the increase in racism, anti-Semitism, and hate crimes in the U.S. And of course, I could not forget that we suffered four years with a president who admired and sought support from the world’s most notorious dictators and then tried to lead a coup when he wasn’t re-elected for a second term.
We too, mustn’t lose sight of our history and the ease with which hard fought freedoms can evaporate if taken for granted.
The exhibits themselves portrayed the strength and resolve of those who did not accept the status quo, those who spoke out against dictatorial rule despite paying a large price for doing so.
In some respects, the resistance movement was reminiscent of the political climate in the U.S. in the 1960s and 70s. Photos and videos of street demonstrations were similar to the struggles against the immoral war of aggression in Vietnam and for equal rights for all in our country.
I was never arrested but can still recall the awful sting of toxic tear gas in my eyes and lungs, struggling to breath after being gassed at numerous peaceful demonstrations. Communications under fascist rule in Portugal were controlled by the state-run media which inspired the creation of a robust underground press. This too, brought back memories of our struggle to publish an underground newspaper, Frox, in high school for which we were suspended multiple times and which was the basis of a law suit brought and won by the New York Civil Liberties Union.
While we lived through politically charged days in our youth in the U.S., we were fortunate to do so without having to deal with an openly fascist government. The museum’s exhibits were a fascinating reflection on what the people of Portugal had to contend with (including incarceration and torture) and are a critically important reminder that we cannot accept complacency when faced with the evils of authoritarian rule.
This is especially true now, more than ever, as right wing nationalist movements are gaining legitimacy and power throughout the world – even in our country, long respected as a bastion of freedom and democracy. The Aljube Museum of Resistance and Liberty represents our collective responsibility as citizens of the world to say:
No, we will not accept going backwards – we will not accept the lies and hatred that we are fed by those who seek power by authoritarian means. We will remember the lessons of history that shine a bright light on the potential for evil that inevitably emerges when democratic rule is subverted. Long live freedom and democracy!
Click on image to advance slide show
opinion8ed2 
Unfortunately the theme of your essay is all too true. One of the toughest aspects of my older adult life has been processing and reconciling the reality that what I presumed to be slow but steady social progress in American society would inexorably continue throughout my lifetime. Sadly recent years have proven this assumption false.
Editor’s response: Thanks Ric, the demise of democracy and rise of fascism in our backyard is a troubling and depressing realization but the glass half full interpretation is the dedicated resistance and commitment to progressive change that the majority of Americans share. When I learn about the struggles against repression and fight for democracy, freedom, equity and justice around the world it makes me hopeful that we can eventually build a better world… if not in our lifetimes, than in those of our progeny.
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