We all watched speechless last month as a nation stood up. Then we watched astounded in the weeks that followed as dictators fell. Today, we watch uneasy as a vicious dictator threatens not just his own nation, but ours as well. For forty years Gaddafi has ruled with an iron fist. For forty years he has lied to and oppressed his own people. The people of Libya are just like you and me. They long for a safe harbor from the world around them. A quiet place to raise their children and hope for a better future. We watch this week as the very fabric of our own nation is tested.
Libya has a government so corrupt they would massacre their own to remain in power. A man so destructive he would tell the woman of his nation that he will kill their children if they remain in protest. As I write this article 600 confirmed American citizens are trapped in a country that only one hour ago encouraged the people to rise up and fight all westerners. They are trapped in airports, hiding in bunkers. These citizens and the thousands of dual citizens are part of our nation. The majority of America is peaceful. We want nothing more than to focus on our very own issues. I find myself today bouncing between world news and democracy pamphlet design, all while writing this article. There is so much to do.
An anonymous Doctor in Libya called the scene in Tripoli a massacre. She reported being forced to allow opposition to die and care only for the security forces.Civil rights hang in a precarious balance. They never swing back once lost. These people have lost everything. The unemployment rate in Libya stood at 30% in 2008 according to the US Embassy. I have spent hours searching for the average annual income in Libya and have turned up no solid numbers. With clean drinking water being scarce for low income families we can only imagine the true situation. Human rights are being violated all around the world and it seems to me that until all people care about our species we will watch these atrocities with dread.
As Gaddafi made an hour and fifteen minute speech from the steps of his bombed out palace, that stands as propaganda against the US, he raged and yelled. He spoke of cleansing the opposition within their own homes. He encouraged violence and chaos among the people. He promised death before he would give up. He promised revenge against the revolution that has sparked a wild fire throughout the middle east and northern Africa. The people have spoken. They stand up in the face of the artillery fire and violence. They will not back down anymore.
We are watching history be made. We are witnessing a worldwide struggle for democracy and civil liberties. It's seems to me that the world is awakening from a dangerous slumber. A slumber that has allowed greed and violence to thrive and grow. We have all been sleeping and while we were asleep grave injustices have been over looked, under played and in some cases encouraged. However, the world is rubbing the sleep from their eyes now and taking a good hard look around them. Extremists all over the globe are finally being challenged. A rational and resourceful people are learning the art of careful communication and civil unrest.
I hear the world crying out for humanity, loud and clear. I see a world where young people are determined to have a say, an education, and hope for a better life. I hear the homosexuals and woman who have long been oppressed standing up one by one. They are ready to prove to themselves and to the world, that they are not going to be discriminated against any longer. I see the Muslim nations standing tall for what they believe in. While the Christians do the same. They all seem to have different agendas but they are all crying out for the same thing, liberty, justice and freedom. This is the mantra of the US. This has always been our battle cry. We stand behind freedom and democracy even when our political system fails us. These brave men and woman who took the first step, and gathered peacefully for change. They are crying out for our nation and those around them to back them in their quest for a free society.
As an American citizen, who is struggling right now with questions of my own freedom, I find this cause near and dear to me. I want to see liberty and freedom prevail. I don't care what race, religion, or creed. We as a country are fighting our own battle, right here. Places like Wisconsin are showing tens of thousands working together to be heard. Unemployment is through the roof. Our banks are stealing homes right out from under the owners. The financial and economic state around us has us all frightened. I look at these nations over the last few months who have stood up for their right to live in a peaceful and profitable society and I think what will we do as a nation to insure that we hold on to the rights we have? How will we stand tall?
The answer is never easy, and a brave first step is hard to come by. Today, I prepare for a peaceful demonstration this weekend. I prepare to have my voice heard in regards to corporate greed. I have prepared myself for the riot police and possible detention. It saddens me greatly to say that even in America the possibility of oppression exists. I enter myself reluctantly into this peaceful protest. I carry fear of persecution and possible force used against me, for no other reason than carrying a sign and handing out literature. We ask today that people all over the country take a moment and think in terms of humanity. Think for a moment of the people involved in these battles. The human element that takes them from a faceless person somewhere in the dessert, to a mother and father fighting for the right to be able to say to their children, "You can be anything you want to be in this world". There is not a bigger gift to give your children than the gift of hope.
Stand tall all you activists out there. The ones working and braving it all for a better humanity, a stronger species and the opportunity for hope. We stand with you in your struggles. You have a human right to dream. Thank You.
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