Calamity, Charity & Convictions

It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve posted, and you may have wondered if I’ve lost the fuel for my rants. This is not the case. Rather, I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the recent influx of absolute insanity on the other side of this blue ball we live on. Between the Libyan uprisings against a masochistic dictator and the collision of nature and Japan, it’s been difficult to articulate such calamity and their effects.

Japan’s recent devastation has been at the forefront of my mind, for many reasons, but mainly because I have friends who live a relatively short distance away from the Fukushima nuclear plant (they are fine and in good spirits if you were wondering). Moreover I also had the privilege to visit Japan and witness its astounding social and geographical climate – a beautiful island full of wonderful surprises and good-natured people. I cannot deny that the devastation was horrendous but the outpouring of charity has been equally immense. However, the ignorance of some around the world, claiming that the tsunami was some sort of cosmic retribution for Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor (or a lack of Christian dogma) is not only disgusting, but also laughable at best.  In a world so advanced in its communicative, medical and transportation technologies, a world of multiculturalism and a globalized economy, it is astounding (though not surprising) that the ignorance of the dark ages still lingers in so many.

A perfect example of such ignorance is in the masochistic digressions of a certain dictator, we’ll call Muammar Gaddafi. His insatiable desire for absolute power has corrupted him absolutely, and his lunacy has unduly damaged his country and its people. I could easily dwell on the atrocities this man has reined – his suppression and violence towards the Libyan people – but it’s the bravery and conviction of those same people that deserve the recognition. Their united vigor against such aggressive tyranny is astounding and should be commended. This intangible and unified strength is something we (apathetic) Canadians should learn from, to understand that “people shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people” (Alan Moore).