(no subject)
I am going to try to be very honest in this post: During this primary season, I have tried to make myself very informed on the issues, and then that escalated to being informed about politics in general. I joined ontd-political, and then just yesterday I joined conservatism to balance out the liberal nature of the former community and to try and get opinions and articles from both "camps" to help myself make informed and intelligent decisions - to make sure that I could support the candidate that truly represented my views, not the candidate that was the most well-spoken or the most popular or the one that was supported in my family or in my school.
I don't think I'm there yet, but I think that I'm on my way. I don't know which candidate will best bring my opinions into the government, but I think that I have a better idea of what my opinions actually are.
But, of course, there was a problem.
In my decision to inform myself, I made the mistake that I see so many others making: I cared only about American politics.
Yes, I do live in this country, but I also live in this world. Primaries and elections are important, but they are not the only important things to exist right now. While there are political issues here - issues that, of course, are certainly significant - there are human issues going on in so many other places. What really "awakened" this fact, for me, was an article about the earthquake crisis in China:
Hello. This is Coco Wang.
As you know the breaking news of 5.12 Earthquake in China, almost all the TV channels in China are broadcasting 24 hours non-stop of every development and stories of all the rescue operations in all damaged locations.
I don't know how much information the BBC or any UK media received from us, I imagine the UK audiences were presented with the major developments of the incident, but you are probably unaware of many important and inside details which are only known to people inside China.
The amount of incredibly moving stories of victims, rescuers, volunteers is simply shocking at the moment. I have been collecting newspapers of all the stories, and telling them in the form of comic strips. I hope these stories could show the UK readers the love, warmth and courage of the Chinese people, also the sad and cruel reality of the horrible 5.12 Earthquake.
I am back home in Beijing now. Thousands of heart-breaking stories are happening 24 hours non-stop everyday, some are so sad that you can hardly bear, some are incredibly moving that you just can't stop crying... I wanted to go to the front to help with all those people, some of my friends have already gone there, but I heard that the traffic needed to be kept totally clear for rescue transportation at the moment, people like me without knowledge of first-aid and experience of rescue operations going there now would cause choas and trouble... but I can't just sit at home and do nothing, I have been crying my eyes out in the past three days, I have never felt more proud of my country and people... their love, courage and kindness rock me to my core! I have decided to tell these touching stories by drawing comics. I am going to send you comic strips almost everyday from now on, I hope you could know something about the earthquake in China, although you don't have to do anything, but I hope you could feel our love and hope.
Thank you all so much.
Coco Wang
I'm not asking anyone to donate - that is everyone's personal decision and I can understand if people simply do not have the spare money. Just please try and keep this in your mind - I know that I will. The comics made it difficult to forget - it was so moving that I couldn't not share it. I don't see the earthquake and relief efforts getting much more attention. (Hopefully, this is just a reflection of my local news and other parts of the country are better informed.)
I know that I don't usually make personal posts - but as far as I am concerned, this is not a personal post. Not when the issue it discusses affects so many people.
Thank you.
Source: http://www.paulgravett.com/articles/133_china/133_china.htm
I don't think I'm there yet, but I think that I'm on my way. I don't know which candidate will best bring my opinions into the government, but I think that I have a better idea of what my opinions actually are.
But, of course, there was a problem.
In my decision to inform myself, I made the mistake that I see so many others making: I cared only about American politics.
Yes, I do live in this country, but I also live in this world. Primaries and elections are important, but they are not the only important things to exist right now. While there are political issues here - issues that, of course, are certainly significant - there are human issues going on in so many other places. What really "awakened" this fact, for me, was an article about the earthquake crisis in China:
Hello. This is Coco Wang.
As you know the breaking news of 5.12 Earthquake in China, almost all the TV channels in China are broadcasting 24 hours non-stop of every development and stories of all the rescue operations in all damaged locations.
I don't know how much information the BBC or any UK media received from us, I imagine the UK audiences were presented with the major developments of the incident, but you are probably unaware of many important and inside details which are only known to people inside China.
The amount of incredibly moving stories of victims, rescuers, volunteers is simply shocking at the moment. I have been collecting newspapers of all the stories, and telling them in the form of comic strips. I hope these stories could show the UK readers the love, warmth and courage of the Chinese people, also the sad and cruel reality of the horrible 5.12 Earthquake.
I am back home in Beijing now. Thousands of heart-breaking stories are happening 24 hours non-stop everyday, some are so sad that you can hardly bear, some are incredibly moving that you just can't stop crying... I wanted to go to the front to help with all those people, some of my friends have already gone there, but I heard that the traffic needed to be kept totally clear for rescue transportation at the moment, people like me without knowledge of first-aid and experience of rescue operations going there now would cause choas and trouble... but I can't just sit at home and do nothing, I have been crying my eyes out in the past three days, I have never felt more proud of my country and people... their love, courage and kindness rock me to my core! I have decided to tell these touching stories by drawing comics. I am going to send you comic strips almost everyday from now on, I hope you could know something about the earthquake in China, although you don't have to do anything, but I hope you could feel our love and hope.
Thank you all so much.
Coco Wang
I'm not asking anyone to donate - that is everyone's personal decision and I can understand if people simply do not have the spare money. Just please try and keep this in your mind - I know that I will. The comics made it difficult to forget - it was so moving that I couldn't not share it. I don't see the earthquake and relief efforts getting much more attention. (Hopefully, this is just a reflection of my local news and other parts of the country are better informed.)
I know that I don't usually make personal posts - but as far as I am concerned, this is not a personal post. Not when the issue it discusses affects so many people.
Thank you.
Source: http://www.paulgravett.com/articles/133_china/133_china.htm