Stand up for what you believe in and be passionate about something. Anything. I’m going to connect two stories that were in the news over the past couple days and conclude with a message. I would like to preface this post by saying that the topic is a bit dark and perhaps controversial but I feel that it’s worth discussion.
#1 “Landmark Khmer Rouge Trial Starts”
This article covers the trial of Pol Pot’s chief torturer who is being charged with crimes against humanity for his involvement as a leader of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia during the 1970’s. The Khmer Rouge is infamous for the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million people (or 1/5 of the country's total population) under its regime through execution, torture, sexual abuses and starvation. This story really struck a chord with me because I have been to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, and have seen the Killing Fields and S-21 prison where the torture and executions took place. It absolutely boggles my mind to think that human beings are capable of such barbaric acts and to stand at the sites where these offenses occurred was chilling to say the least. My stop in Cambodia was by far the most powerful and influential experience in my life. Just 30 years after the country was a living hell, the Cambodian people were the most kind, welcoming and optimistic people I have ever met. There is one lasting image in my mind (pictured below) which will never fade. It is of the ‘fields’ which hold the mass graves of the victims. It may be hard to see but there are children playing in the background on a tree to the right. They were laughing and playing, impervious to the graveyard which they played upon. They were full of hope.
#2 “Police Clash With G20 Protestors”
Thousands of people demonstrated on the streets of London, England ahead of the G20 Summit in angry protest. World leaders arrived for the summit where they will strive to agree upon measures to tackle the worst financial crisis in decades. While every single Summit meeting in history has been met with large scale protests, this one is different. Much of the anger is directed at banks and other institutions who are being accused of contributing to the global collapse of the economy. People are upset about capitalism, corporations and most importantly greed. Conflict can be ugly because it often involves violence and destruction. In my opinion the most effective and powerful protests are non-violent yet incessant. But sometimes it is necessary to stand up for what you believe in at all costs. I respect the protestors who took the time to take to the streets as a sign of disapproval. Somebody needs to convey the message that we aren’t going to put up with it anymore. Otherwise there would be no reason for the G20 leaders to seek resolutions with a sense of urgency.
Significance
Now I am not Jewish and I wasn’t in Europe during the 1930’s and 40’s so I have no right opining about the Holocaust. But I came across a quote a few weeks ago that I thought was very interesting. Ian Kershaw (noted for his objective biography of Adolf Hitler) is a British historian of 20th century Germany who said, 'The path to Auschwitz was paved with indifference.' It’s a sobering idea to think that not everyone in Germany had to be a raving anti-Semite; they just had to be apathetic. This seems to be a theme when it comes to large scale social atrocities. Consider slavery in the United States, genocide in Africa, or mass murder in Cambodia. These movements were able to happen and persist because the masses didn’t speak up. People may have felt that something was amiss but nothing was done about it in the initial stages before it was too late. The financial crisis that our world is currently facing is certainly not at the same level as genocide. But I feel that we have found ourselves in a position where we all need to let our governments and the world’s financial institutions know that we aren’t happy, we’re passionate about not getting screwed over and that we believe in truth, honesty and hope. Don't be apathetic...
#1 “Landmark Khmer Rouge Trial Starts”
This article covers the trial of Pol Pot’s chief torturer who is being charged with crimes against humanity for his involvement as a leader of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia during the 1970’s. The Khmer Rouge is infamous for the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million people (or 1/5 of the country's total population) under its regime through execution, torture, sexual abuses and starvation. This story really struck a chord with me because I have been to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, and have seen the Killing Fields and S-21 prison where the torture and executions took place. It absolutely boggles my mind to think that human beings are capable of such barbaric acts and to stand at the sites where these offenses occurred was chilling to say the least. My stop in Cambodia was by far the most powerful and influential experience in my life. Just 30 years after the country was a living hell, the Cambodian people were the most kind, welcoming and optimistic people I have ever met. There is one lasting image in my mind (pictured below) which will never fade. It is of the ‘fields’ which hold the mass graves of the victims. It may be hard to see but there are children playing in the background on a tree to the right. They were laughing and playing, impervious to the graveyard which they played upon. They were full of hope.
#2 “Police Clash With G20 Protestors”
Thousands of people demonstrated on the streets of London, England ahead of the G20 Summit in angry protest. World leaders arrived for the summit where they will strive to agree upon measures to tackle the worst financial crisis in decades. While every single Summit meeting in history has been met with large scale protests, this one is different. Much of the anger is directed at banks and other institutions who are being accused of contributing to the global collapse of the economy. People are upset about capitalism, corporations and most importantly greed. Conflict can be ugly because it often involves violence and destruction. In my opinion the most effective and powerful protests are non-violent yet incessant. But sometimes it is necessary to stand up for what you believe in at all costs. I respect the protestors who took the time to take to the streets as a sign of disapproval. Somebody needs to convey the message that we aren’t going to put up with it anymore. Otherwise there would be no reason for the G20 leaders to seek resolutions with a sense of urgency.
Significance
Now I am not Jewish and I wasn’t in Europe during the 1930’s and 40’s so I have no right opining about the Holocaust. But I came across a quote a few weeks ago that I thought was very interesting. Ian Kershaw (noted for his objective biography of Adolf Hitler) is a British historian of 20th century Germany who said, 'The path to Auschwitz was paved with indifference.' It’s a sobering idea to think that not everyone in Germany had to be a raving anti-Semite; they just had to be apathetic. This seems to be a theme when it comes to large scale social atrocities. Consider slavery in the United States, genocide in Africa, or mass murder in Cambodia. These movements were able to happen and persist because the masses didn’t speak up. People may have felt that something was amiss but nothing was done about it in the initial stages before it was too late. The financial crisis that our world is currently facing is certainly not at the same level as genocide. But I feel that we have found ourselves in a position where we all need to let our governments and the world’s financial institutions know that we aren’t happy, we’re passionate about not getting screwed over and that we believe in truth, honesty and hope. Don't be apathetic...
No comments:
Post a Comment