A Song that Made Me Think

Let us all face it, there is far too much apathy in the world.

This sort of apathy is dooming us, causing us to not be able to move forward. In the United States, only four days ago, a Toronto born child, and his Iranian parents were finally returned to Canada, after spending five weeks in a Texas prison, simply because the parents had been deported from Canada to begin with.

A child, a nine-year old child, born in Canada. Was forced to spend five weeks in an American prison, for trying to return to Canada, after their plane unexpectedly landed in the United States. In this jail made for immigrants that they were imprisoned in, the child was subdued to treatment that for an adult would be harsh, but for a child is simply inhumane.

They faced persecution, and threats of death if they were forced to return to the parent's native Iran, but this did not sway our government to accept their refugee claim. If I am not mistaken, these threats of persecution were for having some involvement with Salman Rushdie's book The Satanic Verses.

Currently they are temporarily in Canada, and I can only hope that their requests for asylum be granted, especially considering their ordeal, and the fact that Kevin Yourdkhani, the child, was born in Toronto.

Now I move on to this statement. Why was a Toronto born, nine-year old child, ever in an American, maximum security prison?

The American Civil Liberties Union, and Amnesty International both got involved in this case. A United States based organization, and a Britain based organization. Why is it that we, as Canadians, did not stand up and say that this was wrong?

Where was the public outrage, why did I never hear of this, save for a few scant mentions in a smattering of newspapers. Why did I not hear outrage at this? I thought multiple times about this issue, I should do something. Yet I did nothing. I did nothing to help, I signed no petition, I made no post about it, I did nothing. From no person did I hear that this was outrageous. This is what distresses me as well. This is why the video is being shown here.

In any case. The video, it made me think, just how powerful one person, or a group of committed people can be.

I believe Margaret Mead did in fact say it best:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Until next time...