12:58 p.m.
this morning i listened to reports about the latest suppression of dissent in Tibet. I wondered if there is anything I could (or should) do to demonstrate my opposition to what is going on there. The olympics are coming - aren't we supposed to be using this opportunity to pressure China to improve its human rights record?

So I read a little bit about it and almost instantly went through my typical mind-cycle which goes something like this:
-"okay.. these are the facts... yup, this looks bad. what do i do? online petition? lame. write a letter? to who? Chinese politicians? ha! olympics sponsors?

-maybe i need to write to Canadian politicians and express my desire that they do something about this. But do I have any right to be demanding action in Tibet when I live in New Orleans? Maybe I should start with something closer to home, like the racism, poverty, and inequity that surrounds me here.

-but wait... I'm a Canadian living in New Orleans. Do I have any right to get mad at what's happening here when things are not perfect in my own country? The situation on reserves is terrible in Canada - just today I read that the suicide rate is 5-6% higher in native youth... that's a situation where I should really be pressuring for action.

- i don't really know that much about that situation... god, i've been thinking about all this for too long. i have work to do."

and then i went back to work. Because this is what i do. *sigh*

2008-03-14

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