Stop whispering, Start shouting

[dotinthesky]

Reading that statement from Maher Arar threw me into a weird mood. I read the article almost entirely, only skipping some of the torture descriptions; they became like a well-used knife, with it's edges dulled. I didn't want to believe something like that can happen to a human being this day and age. Once again, my-self being naive.

You can't go flippant and funny after being exposed to somebody's life story such as his. You can't turn the page to the funnies section. I wanted to write something about my TaiChi class last night, making fun of the people in the course (because I thought they did deserve it.) But how can I do that when there are human beings who take away the dignities of others without a second thought?

I had to go to the Archives on the other side of the river. I decided I would cross Waterloo bridge by foot instead of taking the bus. The day is clear and warm today, the sky is blue. The sun is shining and people seem happier than usual. But there I was, walking slowly to the archives, thinking of other horrors. I remembered this story my mother told me while she was visiting me:

She'd found out from an old South African friend of a terrible tragedy that happened to acquaintances of ours in South Africa. The whole family was spending the evening at home when they heard two cars pull into the driveway. The husband (a man my parents knew) opened the door, got shot in the head and immediatly died. The two cars were filled with black men who proceeded to rape the wife and the daughter, and rip the house of all its belongings. They even phoned friends to come over and help themselves to whatever was left. The wife and daughter left South Africa shortly afterwards and are now under heavy drugs and treatment in England to overcome that experience.

That shit happens all the time. It's happening right now somewhere on this planet.

I was thinking of that story while crossing the Waterloo bridge, and of this news report from last night about date rape. I looked at the buildings by the Thames, the trees with their golden red leaves. Everything so beautiful - I should have felt so happy. The people walking towards me would avert their gazes when they saw how sad I was looking.

But then something wonderful happened. By the end of the bridge was a group of kindergarden children, with teachers, drawing! They were all sitting and looking out from the arches of the bridge towards the far away City Towers, the water rushing away. There were indian, black, white kids... all kinds of children all sitting by each other, drawing, laughing. It was the most hopeful scene, the most pure and quiet and good scene I could see at that moment. It erased all the negative thoughts from me.

I reached the archives, where I was to meet the guy who will be doing data entry for my boss' project. We started talking and he knew everything about Brazilian politics (he is a politics major)... yeah, it was a hope-filled conversation because he recognized how many great things are happening in Brazil, how our elected president represents a revolution.

I feel ok now, I feel that perhaps everything will be ok. What happened to Maher Arar should never happen to another person. But it did happen, he survived his ordeal and now he can tell the world. He can help towards changing what's going on around us, what's going on in the White House. If we all keep his story alive, by sharing it, and many other stories, then perhaps we are also helping bring about a change.

Comments

I love this entry

[4q.livejournal.com]

this was so beautiful, I read that story as well last night and shed a tear.

and then I got disgusted. At america and Canada...and at the entire world that keeps turning a blind eye. I admire someone who has been through so much...and actually it gave me hope to see someone even after what had happened to go on, and tell people about what really happened...

Re: I love this entry

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

i saw your comment in throwingstardna...

;o)

the fact that this man can go to CBC and tell his story shows that the media in Canada is helping him, is allowing all Canadians to learn what their government did and what America is doing. I only wish there could be an outcry in England aswell... the coverage of this story in England is nil...

Re: I love this entry

[4q.livejournal.com]

that's odd because england is so powerful. I am amazed by Englands power to organize and mobilize! You should forward this story to some media outlets...

Re: I love this entry

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

i'm sure they know... but, as usual, they are choosing to stick to some lame local story. The tabloids here in England are terrible. They would rather talk about the Spice Girls then anything important.

Re: I love this entry

[4q.livejournal.com]

ew they are still alive?

Re: I love this entry

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

sadly... and still not contributing to human kind.

Re: I love this entry

[4q.livejournal.com]

I wish famous people would use their celebrity for good...

do you remember when alec baldwin and what'sherface had a big thing about the horses in central park?? bwhahahaha

like get a real cause okie

Re: I love this entry

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

i don't even remember that... hehe.

Re: I love this entry

[4q.livejournal.com]

ha ha....well it was lame as hell...I mean use our power for good, and seriously those horses are prolly treated good!

Re: I love this entry

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

celebrities are so wrapped up in their shallow world... i don't see how they could have time to catch up with the real world.

Re: I love this entry

[4q.livejournal.com]

true...it's sick really


my theory is because the us doesn't have a monarchy, they use celebrities as their monarchy

Re: I love this entry

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

but England has a monarchy... and they are also obsessed with celebrities! I think people are bored with their lives...

Re: I love this entry

[4q.livejournal.com]

bah! my theory is all ruined now....hhahahaha

Re: I love this entry

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

i'm sad I didn't speak to you yesterday!

:o(

Re: I love this entry

[4q.livejournal.com]

I know, and we didn't get much chance today either!

Re: I love this entry

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

i saw the camera and it looks like a massive snowstorm over there!!! hope you are ok.

Re: I love this entry

[4q.livejournal.com]

it wasn't too bad, there was a lot of fog yesterday...which is unusual for winnipeg since we are no where near an ocean! lol

Re: I love this entry

[somekindaangel.livejournal.com]

ugh you're right.. but you know what's worse? We have shows like this one on mtv called "Rich girls" in which 2 teenage spoiled brats prance around and complain about how tough their life is. And of course impressionable teens like my little 14 year old sister watch this crap and have no idea what the REAL WORLD is like.

Re: I love this entry

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

maybe you should cut the tv's cord when she's not looking! ops... then she'll have to get a life.

:o)

Re: I love this entry

[somekindaangel.livejournal.com]

she's go on the internet then...there's no saving her!

Re: I love this entry

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

but she's only 14 right? i was also into so much shit at that age... she'll probably grow out of it, specially with a cool older sister.

;o)

[somekindaangel.livejournal.com]

Reading that article made me cry..but because I was angry. It is horrifying the way this man was treated. When I first started reading it I figured they had tortured him for a days of weeks..which of course was just as gruesome, but TEN MONTHS??? UGH.. and as if the man hadn't been through enough he felt more for Abdullah who had been tortured even more severely. I can't believe that the US would let something like this happen.. And i'm even more disgusted that I haven't even heard of this mentioned on the news.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

and I also think of the people we haven't heard about. Apparently, thousands of people have been taken into custody by the American government, denied lawyers and denied contact with their families. There's been some exposure here in England, and questions about where these people could be. Nobody knows what they have been charged with...

[iifu.livejournal.com]

i.e. Guantanamo Bay.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

exactly.

:o(