Dang if Tunisia didn't need my advice!However, lest I be accused of harboring delusions of grandeur, all I really mean to say is that I am once again mesmerized by the geopolitical events on the African continent. Or I guess I should say I'm in a state of continuous astonishment. Within the past month, everyday, average Tunisians like the ones in this picture managed to literally dismantle the government, to end a brutally greedy and selfish regime that was draining their very life blood.
In fact, this picture was taken at the funeral of a young man who set himself on fire, after constant harassment by police took its toll. He was a college student trying to support himself and his family selling fruit, but officials kept confiscating his meager wares. The young man finally had enough, and chose an horrific way to end his frustration.
His grieving relatives may not be able to glean much satisfaction from the fact that his desperate act launched the overthrow of the government, but I'm hoping one day they will. As a survivor of suicide myself, I can attest that you spend the rest of your life trying to find a reason, or meaning, or justification for what your loved one did.
My God, what a way to make sense of a tragic loss. What a way for a nation to find its courage and connect with its internal might. What a sacrifice.
And now there are similar acts occurring in Egypt and Algeria. One day soon, I'll share my thoughts about why I don't think "People Power" will reach East Africa anytime soon.
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