Invisible Children -- "Global Night Commute"
On April 29, 2006, we walked for miles through the hills of downtown San Diego to Balboa Park, where we slept for the night. I don't know how much I slept. I caught a few minutes of sleep every now & then... whenever I managed to close my eyes. But then a car would drive by, or a gust of cold wind would hit my face, & I'd be awake again.
Eventually, I slept...but as soon as I did, it was morning. The sun's light pierced through the thick morning clouds, & birds chattered loudly. & if that wasn't enough to wake us, the event leaders would run around to each group yelling, "Rise & shine! Get up! Get up!"
6 am. We listened to some final speeches, as photographers and news crews shot our bed-head, weary-eyed expressions. It was Sunday now, & I had two midterms the coming week. Grrrrrreat.
I think the majority of us wouldn't trade in our "weekend catch-up on sleep" time for a couple measly minutes of shut-eye. Nor would we trade in the comforts of our dorm room beds for the hardness of the barren ground, nor our insulated ceilings for a foggy night sky. But we have the luxury of only having to do this once (& maybe once more, next yr).
There are kids out there who do this every night. Kids much younger than you & I. Kids like our younger siblings, our little cousins, our baby nieces & nephews. 5 year olds, 6 year olds, 7 year olds, etc...all making the long journey away from their homes and into the cities. & it is on these busy, noisy streets that these children sleep. Because it's safer there than it is at home.
& they do not have the comforts of a sleeping bag, nor warm clothes to shield them from the cold. & forget about an education, they'll have to survive first.
Uganda. My knowledge of the place went as far as knowing that it was in Africa. I had always thought that the contemporary world was nothing like the past. It was one without war, without slavery or discrimination; it was one in which innocent people would not die for arbitrary reasons.
The highlight of the month of April were the campaigns; the movements seeking to open people's eyes to reality. A Long Walk Home, The Day of Silence, Take Back the Night...& now, Invisible Children. & I've realized that injustice reigns supreme now just as much as it did in the past. We're just better at covering it up now.
No one can say what will happen. We can't control whether or not people took notice, or found the compassion in their hearts to care. Whether or not the government will take our letters into consideration & take action, is really out of our hands. But, thousands upon thousands of people walking & sleeping in the streets isn't your every day scene. & 57,000 voices are pretty hard to ignore.
www.invisiblechildren.com
Eventually, I slept...but as soon as I did, it was morning. The sun's light pierced through the thick morning clouds, & birds chattered loudly. & if that wasn't enough to wake us, the event leaders would run around to each group yelling, "Rise & shine! Get up! Get up!"
6 am. We listened to some final speeches, as photographers and news crews shot our bed-head, weary-eyed expressions. It was Sunday now, & I had two midterms the coming week. Grrrrrreat.
I think the majority of us wouldn't trade in our "weekend catch-up on sleep" time for a couple measly minutes of shut-eye. Nor would we trade in the comforts of our dorm room beds for the hardness of the barren ground, nor our insulated ceilings for a foggy night sky. But we have the luxury of only having to do this once (& maybe once more, next yr).
There are kids out there who do this every night. Kids much younger than you & I. Kids like our younger siblings, our little cousins, our baby nieces & nephews. 5 year olds, 6 year olds, 7 year olds, etc...all making the long journey away from their homes and into the cities. & it is on these busy, noisy streets that these children sleep. Because it's safer there than it is at home.
& they do not have the comforts of a sleeping bag, nor warm clothes to shield them from the cold. & forget about an education, they'll have to survive first.
Uganda. My knowledge of the place went as far as knowing that it was in Africa. I had always thought that the contemporary world was nothing like the past. It was one without war, without slavery or discrimination; it was one in which innocent people would not die for arbitrary reasons.
The highlight of the month of April were the campaigns; the movements seeking to open people's eyes to reality. A Long Walk Home, The Day of Silence, Take Back the Night...& now, Invisible Children. & I've realized that injustice reigns supreme now just as much as it did in the past. We're just better at covering it up now.
No one can say what will happen. We can't control whether or not people took notice, or found the compassion in their hearts to care. Whether or not the government will take our letters into consideration & take action, is really out of our hands. But, thousands upon thousands of people walking & sleeping in the streets isn't your every day scene. & 57,000 voices are pretty hard to ignore.
www.invisiblechildren.com