Today I give thanks to all the wonderful friends I've met from around the world...

Good morning my friends. I hope everyone who celebrates this holiday has a fantastic day with friends, love ones or the like. Keep in mind those that may not be as fortunate to be enjoying the things you are or will be today.

Remember the fallen in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain and Palestine under repressive regimes that torture and murder. Let's all be thankful for the sacrifices made in all these Middle East Countries for leading the way and showing the rest of the world that no matter the cost, freedom is worth fighting for.

This has to be my one of my favorite photos.

Strong Women.

Nothing can stop the world if we come together.

Take a moment to think of those who gave their lives for the things they believe in and yes let's not forget Palestine suffering under the hand of a people who once themselves endured the same horrible atrocities. For them it's a question... if I want to try to go see my family will I be killed, beaten, or imprisoned. #Palestine. #Libya for you I think I have the strongest connection, but you all have my love.

To everyone in the Middle East you have inspired me to be a better person & to standup for freedom, security and human rights for ALL. For this I am forever in your debt.  I can't say any 1 country has done more for me, I can't wait to meet all of you and will forever be bonded to you.

For my Occupy Wall Street brothers and sisters let this be a day of reflection, love, support and ideas to move us forward holding our heads up high. Knowing that right now, in this very moment we have the ability to make the world a better place for All. We are fighting not just for ourselves and our children, but rather for the rights of future generations to come long past our own existence. In this teachable moment we are making history.

Imagine, some generations down the road reading about how we came together in 2011 and 2012 to do something beautiful; We will be their inspiration. The task at hand may seem difficult, huge and maybe against all odds, truly though it's simple. To have love and humanity in your heart there is nothing we can't do together.

Remember no matter where you are in the world We Are All Connected. I am sincerely and truly humbled to call you my friends.

A New Beginning

So I've been mulling over my next post... what should it be and what the heck I should talk about, then came the capture of Gaddafi - a perfect gift.

It's been five (5) days since the capture and demise of Gaddafi and his son Muttassim and I wanted take the time to watch and read the comments/reactions to how their captures were handled, as well as witness to the announcement of a Free Libya before saying anything. You might be wondering where I stand on all of this.  What does the woman who has an opinion about everything have to say?

When I woke up to the news of their capture I cried like a baby.  Finally, the tears of joy for Libya who can now say "WE ARE TRULY FREE".  Even typing it now brings tears.

I was glued to my computer all day tracking my twitter feed for any information I could get in regards to Gaddafi's status.  Upon hearing Gaddafi had died by the time he arrived in Misrata I thought it a bit odd, but again awaited information.  As news reports and videos were published showing him coherent, walking around or rather being escorted by Freedom Fighters, and a bit bloodied.  At this point you know there is a story between Sirte and Misrata.

Looking through pictures of their wounds and watching every video of different angles after Gaddafi's capture I could get my hands on, it only brought more questions. And then there it was, proof of what happened in the "In Between".

How would you expect Libyans to react after Gaddafi offered a $1,000 reward to anyone for each rape committed against women, young girls and heck, even some of the men? 42 years of a brutal Dictatorship that included unimaginable torture, imprisonment in underground cells buried several feet underground with no light very little air and as many men they could pack in there?  Some might even say it would have been better to be killed straight away, more humane.

But you and I both know we are talking about a person who had no humanity.  Gaddafi would have gladly wiped out the Libyan people only to replace them with people that would bow at his feet for a price.  Everyone has their price and the price Libya paid for Freedom was with their lives -- A pretty high price to pay if you ask me.  What are you willing to lay your life on the line for?

I may or may not agree with how Gaddafi was handled, if you know me, you know the answer to that.  I will say this about what I do believe: I celebrate no ones death. I do, however, celebrate and rejoice with Libya in their new found freedom and endless possibilities for the future of the Libyan people. Vive' Libya!

Who am I to say anything different. Unless you were forced to pick up arms, you never in your life expected you would have to, to gain the freedoms we here in the US are so willing to give up, I think we have no place to speak about how Freedom Fighters reacted.  I would stand with them any day of the the week.

For my first post this only seems fitting

Last night I went to a graduation and during the speeches, awards and congratulatory pats on the back I kept thinking, "Do they know what they did?", "Do they know what they sacrificed?" or "Are they so self involved..." It seemed so odd to be sitting there in that auditorium as if nothing else was going on in the world.  Don't get me wrong parents and families alike were as proud as proud can be, but to me it seemed so minute so miniscule in comparison to history being made right before our eyes.  Our children's children will read about this in school.

It reminds me of our Native American Indians, who don't typically write their history down, but rather pass down stories from one generation to the next. Elders sitting in a room filled with younger generations on the edge of their seats listening to stories of how heroes sacrificed so they could be free from oppression.  These heroes were just like them: shop owners, doctors, lawyers, vendors, people without jobs standing side by side.  Ex-patriots came back to stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow countrymen, no matter their differences, all coming together willing to lay their lives on the line no matter what their status.  Heck, even one American college student felt the calling, as I'm sure we all have, to go stand brother to brother as a human being, soldiers in arms for the greater good of humanity.

I wanted to stand up in that auditorium and shout, "Don't you see what they are and have sacrificed is for the greater good of human kind not just for themselves or their countrymen and women, but for all of us.", "This is a teachable moment we are no different, we are not separated by age, race, color, religion, nationality... we are all one, we are connected.", "This is the moment we love one another unconditionally, respect that no one person, group or country is more important than the other."

I have cried countless times watching videos, flipping through photos of the men, woman and children killed as if they were my children, mother or father, brother or sister, as if it was my obligation and in some small way bearing witness contributed to your struggle, to ensure it would not be forgotten.  I've cried tears of joy and danced my room around like a maniac at your triumphs and fallen to my knees when finding out people I considered friends lost their lives.  I can't count the number of times you've made me laugh out loud sharing some little twitter hashtag as to why one was late or how many versions of the "Zanga Zanga" remix we could find.  It might seem strange to some, but I feel like we are family.

If i could have found a way to get there, there is NO doubt I would have.  For now I am here, being your voice in hopes of reaching others who might otherwise have no idea of the truth.  Thank you.  Thank you for your friendship and allowing me, us, to be apart of your struggle for freedom, for a better life and to get to know you.  I have learned so much.  It truly is about LOVE.  

As we left parting ways this final question came to mind, "Don't you know you are not whole, you are missing something, a part of yourself?"

 

Salam