"If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle." - Frederick Douglass
An Egyptian friend of mine whose family still lives in Egypt sent me this quote yesterday.
And then he demanded of me...
"What is out there is immoral and bad. Where is it? In Egypt. What do we fight for? And are we prepared to fight? Yes, we are. But are you? Will you fight beside of us - become one more drop of water in our rushing ocean tides?" (I had to translate this from French - he does not speak English well and grew up in Quebec)
Stunning.
And then I found this on GayEgypt.com (thanks to gay persons of color):
"Egypt's gay and lesbian community has had enough of years of police brutality and torture and GayEgypt.com calls on all lesbians and gays to join their brothers and sisters on the street to peacefully express their demand for immediate change."
My heart and thoughts go out to all of them. I can't imagine what it must be like to be gay in Egypt. I hope at the end of the day they get the much-needed improvement in their government they deserve.
ReplyDeleteI love the last quote...."peacefully express" sometimes change MUST be made, but it doesn't always need to be accompanied by violence. Truly an amazing stance.
ReplyDeleteI too feel for these people, it seems like all of the middle east is going through a major change. I know it's for positive change, I just hope too much negativity doesn't find it's way in.
Thanks Neal!