Message from Honduras

Jesse Freeston, a journalist working in Honduras, recently created a video about the brutal and bloody repression of rights and freedoms in that country that is impossible to ignore. In his Jesse's words, "As the world pretends that this illegal and fraudulent election that took place on Sunday has somehow changed a brutal dictatorship into a democracy, the actions of the day of the election show otherwise. This report is from San Pedro Sula, Honduras' second largest city, on the day of the election."



Watching this video is the first step to taking a stand against the criminals who have seized power in Honduras. By acknowledging the truth, you take the first step toward making a difference. Please call your political representatives at all levels (you can find their contact information at http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml) and implore them to watch this video and stand up for what's right. If you don't support the government in Honduras, your representatives should know that -- and they should not be supporting it either. Please do the right thing. Educate yourself, then take action.

Silence

I'm in the process of adjusting to life back at my home in Maryland. Spending time with family, biking to coffee shops just for the enjoyment of the ride, sitting on the screened-in porch and listening to the sounds of the night -- it's easy to nurture an appreciation for this life. But at the same time, it's Friday evening and I don't have any clue how I will entertain myself throughout the weekend. My house is silent, except for the intermittent hum of the air conditioner. There's such a thing as too much solitude. But reconnecting with old pals is a lot easier said than done. Despite all our little electronic devices of communication, some people are hard to get in touch with. Plus, people change. Finding words to fill the empty spaces between us is no simple task. I know that many of my friends are busy with the lives they've been contently living in my absence, just as I was busy with a life I created thousands of miles away from the folks who call this area their home. Yet, despite the challenges, I'm happy to be where I am.

My job search has been fruitless so far (if anyone can offer an tips, connections, guidance, etc. -- please get in touch), but I know I'll find employment eventually (perhaps in 2012?). In the mean time, I do enjoy the slow pace of my life. I'm reading a lot and catching up on movies and shows that are old to most people but still seem new and strange to me. But this slow pace is unsettling when I contrast it against the frenzied development of the tragedies and frustrating realities that I just spent a year studying.

For example, Honduras is a wreck. Reports are emerging that the police have been on a rape spree since the coup. Suppression of the media and other human rights violations are rampant. But this story has faded from news headlines. In an effort to draw your attention to the appalling reality of the situation in Honduras (and the Obama administration's deafening silence in response to it) I beseech you to read this article: Obama's Deafening Silence in Honduras. An excerpt:

The millions of Americans who gave their votes, contributions or energy to Barack Obama's presidential campaign in the hope that he would change U.S. foreign policy probably didn't expect to see this administration fishing around for rightwing allies to help block Latin America from trying to reverse a military coup. But that appears to be the reality.
-by Mark Weisbrot