The more I see/hear about/read about/am exposed to the oppressive nature of government in other countries, the more blessed I feel to be living in America today. It's actually somewhat embarrassing the reason I begun thinking about this topic, but I'll explain anyway. I am what some might call a reality TV addict, one of my favorite shows being "True Life." This is, quite simply, the most basic form of mindless entertainment imaginable. It is the chronicling of the lives of those who live in certain situations that MTV finds interesting enough to air 'documentary' type episodes on. Usually the episodes are titled as such; True Life: I'm an Anorexic, True Life: I'm Addicted to Porn, True Life: I'm a Teenager Living with my Boyfriend/Girlfriend, and so on and so on. Point: it's mindless entertainment and I love it. Having said that, I log on to the website where I watch this terrible television show and there's a new episode titled True Life: Resist the Power, Saudi Arabia. My first thought: the MTV corporation are a bunch of assholes, and this is probably going to be a media driven and biased wannabe documentary about the oppressive nature of the Saudi government. My second thought: I'm watchin it.
So there's my embarrassing story as to how I came to wonder about this topic.
First thing I need to admit is that I'm not a huge reader or follower of the news. I find newscasts depressing and biased, and I'm never sure what information I can trust and what is contrived for ulterior purposes. That being said, I still am interested in what is going on around me and in the world I live in, although I may not always keep up on current events. Recently, I've started becoming a more active listener when people talk about things that interest me, even though I typically do not feel qualified enough to engage in conversation regarding these things. I often forget the importance of being educated and keeping from joining the greater percent of the population of closed-off ignorant human beings.
Young people in America are so privileged, yet we still remain unaware of how fantastic our opportunities truly are in comparison with so many other parts of the planet. Although we may not be happy with our government and how they are spending our money, we are so incredibly fortunate to live in a democratic society when young people in other countries are being imprisoned for sharing their feelings and opinions, and women are being sentenced to death for showing their heads uncovered in public. And I can surely understand why we get frustrated with the job market and the economic situation this country is in currently, being bitter about spending thousands of dollars and a handful of years working on achieving degrees and signed pieces of paper denoting the fact that we are of worth in the working world, but consider for a moment where we would be if our country did not offer us the opportunity to go to college. What if we were considered lucky if we could finish high school, and then even luckier still if we were able to find a job working in a field or doing manual labor? What if we had to wake up at 4:00 in the morning and catch a bus to a work camp where we would hopefully be selected for a day's work and be paid at the end of said day, simply earning just enough to get by.
So while we sit on our Ikea loveseat sipping coffee out of a stainless steel mug on the second level of an apartment complex in Whatever City, USA wondering when we will land that perfect job or find that perfect opportunity, another young man or woman living some thousands of miles from where we are is waking up (or perhaps going to sleep) with dreams and aspirations to attend an American university, or graduate from secondary school, or become fluent in our native language. Simple, stupid things that we constantly take for granted. An Iranian girl with beautiful hair longing just to be able to show it off on a proper date with a man she is interested in could scarcely comprehend an American girl complaining about her "bad hair day" or her "date from hell." A young man interested in government and politics, wishing he could have a say in the laws that directly affect him, passionate about a democratic vote and having his voice heard, yearns and hopes that his dreams will someday become a reality in his country. While at the same time a freshly 18-year-old American student claims that politics have no place in his life, and he refuses to vote in an election for a country that he hates and a government which he resists. What is wrong with this picture. Accept your freedoms and personal liberties, your blessings and opportunities and use them. If you don't eventually they'll be lost.
Links of Interest to me Today:
Death Sentence in Iran
Khmer Rouge Trials
So there's my embarrassing story as to how I came to wonder about this topic.
First thing I need to admit is that I'm not a huge reader or follower of the news. I find newscasts depressing and biased, and I'm never sure what information I can trust and what is contrived for ulterior purposes. That being said, I still am interested in what is going on around me and in the world I live in, although I may not always keep up on current events. Recently, I've started becoming a more active listener when people talk about things that interest me, even though I typically do not feel qualified enough to engage in conversation regarding these things. I often forget the importance of being educated and keeping from joining the greater percent of the population of closed-off ignorant human beings.
Young people in America are so privileged, yet we still remain unaware of how fantastic our opportunities truly are in comparison with so many other parts of the planet. Although we may not be happy with our government and how they are spending our money, we are so incredibly fortunate to live in a democratic society when young people in other countries are being imprisoned for sharing their feelings and opinions, and women are being sentenced to death for showing their heads uncovered in public. And I can surely understand why we get frustrated with the job market and the economic situation this country is in currently, being bitter about spending thousands of dollars and a handful of years working on achieving degrees and signed pieces of paper denoting the fact that we are of worth in the working world, but consider for a moment where we would be if our country did not offer us the opportunity to go to college. What if we were considered lucky if we could finish high school, and then even luckier still if we were able to find a job working in a field or doing manual labor? What if we had to wake up at 4:00 in the morning and catch a bus to a work camp where we would hopefully be selected for a day's work and be paid at the end of said day, simply earning just enough to get by.
So while we sit on our Ikea loveseat sipping coffee out of a stainless steel mug on the second level of an apartment complex in Whatever City, USA wondering when we will land that perfect job or find that perfect opportunity, another young man or woman living some thousands of miles from where we are is waking up (or perhaps going to sleep) with dreams and aspirations to attend an American university, or graduate from secondary school, or become fluent in our native language. Simple, stupid things that we constantly take for granted. An Iranian girl with beautiful hair longing just to be able to show it off on a proper date with a man she is interested in could scarcely comprehend an American girl complaining about her "bad hair day" or her "date from hell." A young man interested in government and politics, wishing he could have a say in the laws that directly affect him, passionate about a democratic vote and having his voice heard, yearns and hopes that his dreams will someday become a reality in his country. While at the same time a freshly 18-year-old American student claims that politics have no place in his life, and he refuses to vote in an election for a country that he hates and a government which he resists. What is wrong with this picture. Accept your freedoms and personal liberties, your blessings and opportunities and use them. If you don't eventually they'll be lost.
Links of Interest to me Today:
Death Sentence in Iran
Khmer Rouge Trials
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