Changing Currents

I live in a small, quiet, and safe corner of the world. In my community, the police are trusted, elections are regularly held (sometimes more often than people would like) and students go to University reasonably confident that their degree will assist them in finding meaningful employment.  I know that should we decide to stay here Margot will have a future.  Not everyone is as fortunate.

I can’t help but be riveted by what is going on in North Africa and the Middle East these past few weeks.  What started with a frustrated University graduate setting himself on fire for lack of employment has already resulted in the toppling of one autocratic regime and has another on the brink. What is inspiring about this revolution, if I can call it that, is that it does not have any apparent religious or ethnic overtones; rather, it seems to be sustained by an unwillingness to accept the status quo and a real desire for something better: jobs; political choice; hope.  As Victor Hugo wrote in Les Misérables:

What did they want, those violent men, ragged, bellowing and wild-eyed, who with clubs and pikes poured through the ancient stress of distracted Paris?  They wanted to put an end to oppression, tyranny, and the sword; they wanted work for all men, education for their children, security for their wives, liberty, equality, fraternity, food enough to go around, freedom of though, the Edenization of the world.  In a word, they wanted Progress, the hallowed, good and gentle thing…

For my entire memory I have thought of the Middle East/North Africa as static, stable, authoritarian, corrupt.  It would truly be amazing if my concept of the region was relegated to the dustbin of history and Margot grew up knowing something completely different. Perhaps a bit of wishful thinking! Then again, the Eastern Europe I know is completely different than the one my parents grew up with.

Good luck to them.  As for me, I will continue to listen to the news, thank my lucky stars that I live where I do and hug Margot extra tight.