Think About It Thursday: Revolutions in Egypt, Ukraine, and Venezuela

A lot has happened since my last post on the Olympic Games at Sochi. Truth be told, the past month I've taken a hiatus from stalking the various online news sites I've got bookmarked at work. I've denied myself the ability to feast on each and every update I can find on countries far, far away. Ignorance is refreshing in a sick, dark sense, but yet also so damn boring after a mere 48 hours. In fact, putting myself back into a close-minded bubble made me more antsy than I already was, reading about other people's real worlds. So back to digging around for endless story updates I go.

Back in January, I read about a documentary called The Square. I wrote the title down on a Post-It where it has sat on my nightstand ever since. I tend to do that with books, musicians, and the like. (Reminder apps do nothing for my brain; everything must be written down in order to stick in my memory.)

I'd like to go on a tangent at this point and bring up a voicemail I received a week ago. It came from a guy who I had met last spring. Upon learning he was a Cairo native on the middle of a club dance floor, I instantly wanted to know more about him. Over hookah and tea, we discussed his country's future on multiple occassions. At that time, Mohamed Morsi was still in power as President of Egypt and a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood. After hearing brief, vague snippets about the unrest on NPR every morning, I wanted to know what was actually happening from a native Egyptian's point of view. I found out his friend, who I also met that night in the club, was blind in one eye as a result of a rubber bullet shot out into the crowd of protestors. He allegedly came here to seek asylum and was at the time meeting with lawyers to see what could be done. My friend claimed he was here for a Master's degree, but now I have my doubts after this mysterious phone call from Egypt some 9 months later. I can't stop wondering if they both went back willingly to protest a second time, or if they were kicked out of our country because we, at the time, supported the "democratically elected" Morsi. 

Moving forward, I would like to point out that The Square  was nominated for an Oscar. It obviously lost, but the mention is still worth noting. (One of the other two, Omar, I hope to see this upcoming weekend). During our latest snowstorm, I decided to finally watch The Square and see if the documentary would actually reveal something I had missed from reading and listening to our news outlets' coverage. The opinions of those in the film reflected exactly what my friend had expressed to me last year. They weren't all happy about Morsi; actually, they were angry about what he had failed to do so far and nervous about what he would do in the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed the cinematography of this documentary. The transition between major scenes was nicely done. Often it would cut to someone spraying politically charged, yet beautiful graffiti . The three main characters kept my attention and stole my heart. I laughed, I cried, and I pondered what it must be like to fight for something with so much bravery, so much determination, so much joy. I continue to wonder if they are all still alive, if they are all still so strong, if they are still friends. I wonder what they think of the possibility of another head army official bidding for presidency. I wonder if they feel more or less safe than they did three years ago. Then I reread the two quotes I wrote down while watching the documentary. (I'm a sucker for quotes.)

The first (on the army): "The more they kill, the more we believe in our cause."

The second: "We are not looking for a leader to rule us. Because everyone who went to Tahrir is a leader. We are looking for a conscience."

Then I take those two quotes, and I ponder what's happening in Ukraine and Venezuela, where I'm positive half of what occurs is twisted and contorted just like it was, and more than likely continues to be, in Egypt. I think of the Ukrainian protestors dancing to "Happy." I think of the Facebook posts I continue to see made by my South American friends in support of Venezuela. I think and I speculate and I opine. And, I ask you, what would you do if your country was not meeting its promises or following its own rules? Would you fight, flee, or continue to go about your own business? Would you join forces with those who you might agree only 15% with, or would their religious, socio-economical, sexual, or other differences prevent you from joining forces in support of improving the one thing you will always be connected by: your homeland.

Until next time,

La petite pamplemousse