MARCHERS TRY TO BRING PLIGHT OF TIBET TO OLYMPIC FOREFRONTEugene is having unusually high temperatures, and a record number of track fanatics converging. Makes things interesting. The Links were hot and cranky, but comfortably dressed, sunscreened, hydrated, hatted, etc. My sister-in-law, however, her sister, and 148+ other Tibetans, wore their native garments, HEALS, and walked in peaceful protest from 9:00 AM - 11:00 PM, ending the night with a candlelight prayer vigil.
"It's pretty much just window dressing at this point," my brother said, not too hopeful that the Tibetan/Chinese story is going to turn around any time soon. And maybe that's true. And maybe it's not. Not enough can be made of a people that fully support the world's most promising amateur athlete competition, while raising awareness to the brutality and inhumanity shown to their country and its natives.
Sonam, my SIL and her sister, Suthi, made 165 sandwiches, packed them in coolers and passed them out to hungry supporters yesterday. From her modest income she bought all the groceries, and she and her sister created a sandwich making assembly line that would have done Henry Ford proud.
At one point Sonam was scrambling for someone to help her load coolers into a car, she'd separated from the march and was trying to do it all alone before realizing it was humanly impossible. She looked around and saw a hungry, hot, homeless teenager. "You help me with coolers? I give you sandwich!" she said to the boy.
He did. He was happy to help. He took his sandwich and she gave him another for good measure.
That's the Tibetan spirit.
As we turn our gaze to China later this summer, let us keep in mind the beings you won't see, the ones that have had to flee their own country and take refuge wherever they can find it.
For the full story, go here.
5 comments:
Your SIL is a wonder! So are the Tibetans and what they are fighting for. So are you.
Wow. I admire your SIL and her sister.
We touched on the olympic issue during class this year, but we didn't have enough time to have a seminar on the subject.
I will remember.
Well said Carrie. What an important reminder for us.
Your SIL sounds like such a beautiful person. Pure grace.
China's involvement in Darfur will also be an issue for many.
Jeez. It kills me that the world is going to play this "pretend" game with China, like all is well, and they should be embraced. *sigh* Not just the Tinet issue, but human rights in general, womens rights, enviromentally, their friendship with the government of darfur and financial support of it! Makes. Me. Nuts.
:(
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