Saturday, February 19, 2011

A Revolution by Margot Justes

Recently we witnessed a revolution in Egypt, what made it historically so remarkable is that it was relatively bloodless.

We watched it happen right in front of our eyes; the assembly of the masses in Tahrir Square, the essential communication role the social networks played in the organization of the revolt, and the ingenuity of the masses when that network was shut down.

It was fundamentally a demand for freedom and a right to be heard, and heard they were.
The government stepped down, the military took over and the people are awaiting their democratic right to vote and select new leadership. It almost sounds too simplistic, the events unfolded in a public square in Cairo.

I heard someone say that it was a non-event, because little blood was spilled, the military didn't fire on its own people and the leadership did step down.

A non-event? It was a huge event. The power of the people brought down a government. The power of the people demanded democracy, and they were willing to take that unknown step forward and demand it. It certainly was a gargantuan event.

I found it absolutely engrossing, watching the events unfold, the willingness of the Egyptian people to stand firm and fight for what they believed. That was history in the making.

We're so used to seeing blood and gore everywhere, that when we see a remarkable event without bodies strewn everywhere, some of us think it's not important. Why is that?

Till next time,
Margot Justes
www.mjustes.com
A Hotel in Paris

3 comments:

Morgan Mandel said...

I hope they get what they're seeking with their government. More power to them.

Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

Margot Justes said...

I hope so too...
Margot Justes
www.mjustes.com

Deb Larson said...

I feel as you do, Margot! This is history unfolding before our eyes! This nation of people are showing others how to demand justice without blood shed!!! We should be applauding these people from every corner of the world.
Glad you wrote about this!
DL Larson