Grim Truth: 97/22/07
Jul. 22nd, 2014 11:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_sirius posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
alternityGreetings, British Wizarding World!
As some of you know, we in the Order of the Phoenix have heard the rumours that the Ministry recently lost the ability to monitor private journal messages.
If you have been taking advantage of the temporary promise of true privacy, good on you. Perhaps you've contacted friends or colleagues and taken the chance to admit to them that you have reservations, conflicts or grave concerns about the Protectorate's philosophies on blood purity or treatment of its subjects or the Lord Pretender's sanity. Perhaps you've had conversations that have led to better understandings of who among your neighbours feel the same. We fervently hope that your trust has been placed wisely and that no one to whom you've written has reported anything you might have said - presumably because you all know that no one is truly safe in this 'utopia' known as Wizarding Britain.
Your safety is about to be compromised again. We have reason to believe that the Ministry are very close to re-establishing surveillance over the private messages. In fact, while we cannot vouch for a specific date, we estimate that messages may be monitored again as early as this Friday, 25 July. Please take appropriate precautions as of that date.
We are reasonably confident that anything you may have written during the last month or so will not be able to be discovered by MLE or the Ministry but they will certainly be making the attempt.
Don't let your communications be in vain. If you took the chance and spoke your mind, continue to speak it, to those who feel the same or to those who can be convinced that the Protectorate is nothing more than a tyrannical charade, more fueled by fear and oppression than by freedom or opportunity.
The next time you find yourself wondering whether the person you are talking to would accuse you of treason if you spoke your mind, remember what it was like to be able to say what you thought, when you thought it. Remember the last time you were truly free to choose friends, not based on their birthright but the kind of person they are. Remember when it was not a crime to fancy Muggle music or Muggle fashion, Muggle gadgets or even Muggles themselves. Remember Britain when it was free.
As some of you know, we in the Order of the Phoenix have heard the rumours that the Ministry recently lost the ability to monitor private journal messages.
If you have been taking advantage of the temporary promise of true privacy, good on you. Perhaps you've contacted friends or colleagues and taken the chance to admit to them that you have reservations, conflicts or grave concerns about the Protectorate's philosophies on blood purity or treatment of its subjects or the Lord Pretender's sanity. Perhaps you've had conversations that have led to better understandings of who among your neighbours feel the same. We fervently hope that your trust has been placed wisely and that no one to whom you've written has reported anything you might have said - presumably because you all know that no one is truly safe in this 'utopia' known as Wizarding Britain.
Your safety is about to be compromised again. We have reason to believe that the Ministry are very close to re-establishing surveillance over the private messages. In fact, while we cannot vouch for a specific date, we estimate that messages may be monitored again as early as this Friday, 25 July. Please take appropriate precautions as of that date.
We are reasonably confident that anything you may have written during the last month or so will not be able to be discovered by MLE or the Ministry but they will certainly be making the attempt.
Don't let your communications be in vain. If you took the chance and spoke your mind, continue to speak it, to those who feel the same or to those who can be convinced that the Protectorate is nothing more than a tyrannical charade, more fueled by fear and oppression than by freedom or opportunity.
The next time you find yourself wondering whether the person you are talking to would accuse you of treason if you spoke your mind, remember what it was like to be able to say what you thought, when you thought it. Remember the last time you were truly free to choose friends, not based on their birthright but the kind of person they are. Remember when it was not a crime to fancy Muggle music or Muggle fashion, Muggle gadgets or even Muggles themselves. Remember Britain when it was free.
Order Only Private Message to Sirius
Date: 2014-07-23 04:23 am (UTC)But he told me one time that even before the Protectorate, we were banned from having that stuff. Not that it stopped him, mind. I reckon that was part of the fun, actually. But... Why was it illegal to collect Muggle things before?
ORDER ONLY
Date: 2014-07-23 04:36 am (UTC)Re: Order Only Private Message to Sirius
Date: 2014-07-23 04:36 am (UTC)Back in the day there were a number of wizards who enjoyed putting charms on harmless items like teacups or doorknobs or keys and giving them to Muggles as pranks. That's the sort of baiting that the Ministry tried to curb. But as far as I know, merely owning Muggle paraphernalia wasn't illegal, merely eccentric.
Re: ORDER ONLY
Date: 2014-07-23 04:36 am (UTC)Re: Order Only Private Message to Sirius
Date: 2014-07-23 04:45 am (UTC)You know about the Ford, I reckon. Dad had loads of things he was trying to charm so they'd work again. Or, y'know, work with magic.
And it was his job, back then, he said to keep people from doing anything with Muggle stuff, so, yeah, maybe it was just putting traps on them that was banned. Only, he said he'd've been in trouble for the things in his shed, then, if anyone'd known.
Maybe just because it would've looked... improper?
Re: ORDER ONLY: Private Message to Sirius
Date: 2014-07-23 05:50 am (UTC)They meant quite a lot to me. Especially before all this business with the Lock and the Order began. It was the bravest thing I think I'd ever seen anyone do before. It made me think.
It can't be easy to be like that for so many people. But it's so very important. Thank you.
Re: ORDER ONLY: Private Message to Sirius
Date: 2014-07-23 05:53 am (UTC)