The Man On Fire

As we sit here in our living rooms, in our comfy chairs and consider the utter bullshit that our political system brings to us, we must realize how fortunate we are despite it.  We must also realize how critically important it is that we protect our system of government from those who want to seize power at any cost and once they have it, will go to great lengths to keep it.

Today, across the globe--so far away we don't often think about it, a man protested the horrible oppression of his country.  The People's Republic of China is oppressing Tibet.  Today, a man was so desperate for change that he set himself on fire.  He had a wife.  He had children.  And he was so desperate to make a statement..to effect a change, that he struck a match and burned himself alive.

In an interview about the tragedy, His Holiness, The Dalai Lama said, "The struggle which we are carrying is the struggle between power of truth [and the] power of gun(s).  For short term, power of gun is much stronger, but long run, power of truth is more stronger than power of gun.  That I believe."  His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been in exile for more than 45 years.  He is a man of immense wisdom and great peace.  We can learn a thing or two from him.  

Let us hope our fondest hope, wish on every star and pray to any god that will listen that our differences can be resolved peacefully at the ballot box and we never become so oppressed that we consider the same actions as the Tibetan man on fire.  He was the fifth man to do so this year.