Freedom

It is a wonderful thing that Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee have returned home and are now with their families. I couldn't begin to imagine what it must have been like for them.

The ordeal they endured reminds me of how wonderful it is to live in a country where we have a voice and we have rights. Democracy is imperfect, no doubt, but it beats authoritarianism any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

I mean.. here I sit in the comfort of my own home clacking away on my laptop, writing and publishing anything I darn well choose without being fearful that I may be swept away by the authorities, separated from my family and thrown into a jail or a mental hospital or a labor camp. My biggest worry is whether or not I ran a spell check before I published since my spelling is atrocious and I don't want to embarrass myself.

But not these folks... and I don't think they have a knight in shining armor coming to their rescue...

What shocks me about this list of foreign prisoners is that they are accused of crimes I do everyday. Blogging, using email or video equipment, having opinions and voicing them. I am free to do these things as it is my right, and their lives have been destroyed because they tried to enjoy this same right.

It's scary...