The Iranian people want a new vote. The Iranian government says no.

I can’t help but contrast this with how blasé American voters are about their own vote. The lesson to be learned is the importance of the vote and how valuable it is to ordinary people. The vote is the single most powerful weapon ordinary people have to control their government. As you can see, some people are willing to die for their right to vote.

Photo from the New York Times.

TEHRAN — Police officers used tear gas and water cannons to beat back thousands of demonstrators gathering in the capital on Saturday, a day after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said there would be “bloodshed” if street protests continued over the disputed presidential election. [New York Times]