something inspirational for a change

you can't keep up on current events without being depressed. there is always some new story about man's inhumanity to man that will have you questioning whether there is anything redeeming about us as a race. so, it is always refreshing when you come across a story that helps renew hope in mankind. there is just such a story coming out of mexico. central americans have long been making the arduous trip to the united states in search of work, taking them through the dangerous territory of mexico, where they faced robberies, rapes, torture, and kidnappings. mexico has long been silent on the plight of these migrants...until now. in rafael lara grajales, mexico, dozens of kidnapped central americans escaped from a home where they had been stripped, robbed, and beaten. they poured out into the streets, begging the locals for help, saying the police had been involved. it would have been safer for the townspeople to turn their backs. if the police were involved, they risked certain reprisals. they risked possible incarceration, torture, and even death. yet despite the dangers, they did the right thing. the townspeople turned out to clothe and hide the victims. they got on bullhorns to call for further action in protecting these migrants from being rounded up by the police, who they feared were involved in the mass kidnappings. they stood up for these strangers in the face of tear gas and riot police because it was the right thing to do. let me say that again, IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. what a fucking inspirational story that is. here in america, we have the luxury of not having to be confronted by this type of scenario and yet, we refuse to get involved in even the smallest of things. voting is not enough. we must engage in social activism. here in new orleans, we do not even come forward to say what we saw when we witness a crime and so the criminals go free and the murder rate climbs. i understand fear but damn; if these people can rise up, despite the odds, then how much easier should it be for us? this is our city. this is our country. stop whining about it and fucking do something. you can make a difference. you may not be aiding migrants but there are things you can do to positively impact the world around you. my roommate is a perfect example. in the face of corporate greed, he has chosen to no longer get his insurance through aig, because of their financial mess. in the face of what those people did in mexico, that may not seem like a lot but it creates change. instead of leaving things up to the politicians, we must act on our own to send clear messages. we have that power. it is not up to someone else to make the world a better place, it is up to us. i, for one plan to remember what they did in mexico, the next time i'm whining about something i think i have no control over. the universe is mine to create what i will out of it and it is yours and yours and yours.