While
riding the bus home towards Victoria through Westminster Sqaure and
its House or Parliament & Westminster Abbey, I have always recognized
the anit-war propaganda demonstration display. From a bus you can only
read the words "Iraq" and "Genocide", not fully
understand the message. Today, I wanted to understand a different viewpoint
and also finally meet this highly motivated English man, Brian, who
has dedicated the last 273 days of his life sleeping in front of the
House of Parliament communicating his meessange and bring humanitarian
sense into the general public, tourists, and UK's politcal leaders.
Since
September 11th, I have realised the fact that as an American, I am somewhat
ignorant, uneducated, and underexposed to the world outside the U.S.
In addition to this realisation, I have continued to ask myself WHY
the events ever happened and have started to collect outside views from
people from across the world rather than remaining in an American one
viewed perspective and biased state of reason. After a 2 hour conversation
with Brian I learned and understood his message. He has already gained
world attention through a CNN broadcast and hopefully will continue
to change the views of us ignorant people around the world, as he did
for me.
Sometimes
in society we claim ourselves be the "normal" people and the
homeless and street dwelers are the "crazy" or "unaccepted"
group. We sometimes forget we are all humans and look down, frowning
and underestimating these people due to their different poor economic,
social, and sometimes health situation. But Brian isnt poor, mentally
sick, or unhealthy. In fact he has a stable family with a wife &
7 healthy kids, and a home in south London, more than many of us. His
strong anti-war views finally called him to his campaign 273 days ago
when he just had enough and wanted to finally change the world one person
at a time. He is doing the dirty work for many of us, instead of those
who continuously talk about helping the world and never do, he is actually
doing it. As a passerby we may underestimate his character as a street
dweller to be uneducated, hopeless, and crazy. But, Brian is none of
that, he's just very mad.
Mad?
you ask. You should be mad aswell. Why? Because our governement is immorally
killing innocent people in Iraq and across the Middle East in search
of these terrorist groups. Innocent people from Iraq and Afghanisatn
who have no political power, remain unagressive, and base their simple
life enjoying the comfort of their families are being innocently killed.
There is no explanation why these people should be killed. Our governement
is trying to raid the world of these terrorists groups in which were
created as an effect of the U.S. agressive foreign policy. Other countries
have realized that the U.S. holds greedy interests into certain country's
resources and is possibly looking to exploiting these eastern countries
like they have to many other countries in Latin American, Central America,
and Southeast Asia.
But, really who are the terrorists? These groups who are reffered to
as "extreme radicals" who are refusing to put up with another
American invasion and actually attempt to shut out the overpowering
United States government, aswell as its greedy capitalistic businessmen
from entering their country, their land, and exploiting their valuable
resources, their people, and sucking them clean like they have done
to many countries in history.... or the United States who has more bombs,
can kill more people, and is posing a threat by taking military action
by a greedy interest of simply draining the world's valuable oil resources
remaining in the Caspian Sea? Sometimes we need to really look at what
is happening and question why we are really in the Middle East current
and prior to September 11th. Why do people from that part of the world
hold strong Anti-American viewpoints? They hate us for a reason that
needs to be understood because it can leave you absolutely agreeing.
And
if you're only comeback is to say that the U.S. government is trying
to protect us by providing the privilidge to luxuries and fortunate
resources by killing these innocents with their military actions, they
are nonetheless creating more terrorists, more international hatred,
and more tensions that will eventually grow and finally bring our American
Empire to something of past similar to the destruction of the Greek,
Roman, French, and British empires.
These
are just a small few of Brian's many views on the world that are quite
strong. As he continues to communicate his message to the tourists,
passebyes, and political leaders who adjourn directly across the street
from his display at the House of Parliament. I support his enduring
mission and quest to gain humanitarian sense into the public. Although,
I agree and disagree with some of his points he is still a remarkable
and respectable well educated and well spoken individual. Rain or shine
he sleeps, eats, and lives by his display. During my conversation, a
gentlemen from Spain approached to show support as he has seen his broadcast
on television. According to Brian these remarks are his rewards for
his work and motivates, reinsures, and makes up for his long demonstration
and the voilent vandalism his display has experienced. This man is quite
remarkable and suited a great way to spend my free time on a sunny saturday
afternoon.
Some
other things to think about:
1. People starve across the world yet people watch and justify waisting
food in a private and public (corporate) sense.
2.
Where were your clothes made and in what situation were they made in,
who made it and were they exploited. Old Navy ,GAP, etc. may charge
you, the customer, cheap prices, but what about those other designers
who exploit both ends of the spectrum?
3.
Greedy, Selfish, and Impractical. How do you feel when looking at the
dumpsters at the end of the college year to see how much we waste?
