sAtUrdAy mOrning, sO cAUght Up listEning tO this rOb swift mix I missEd my stOp And EndEd Up At mArtin plAcE. mArtin plAcE is thE cOmmErciAl cOrE Of dOwntOwn sydnEy. it's whErE thE 'mAtrix' scEnE with thE wOmAn in thE rEd drEss wAs shOt. it's bEEn A minUtE sincE i wAs AnywhErE nEAr mArtin plAcE... At lEAst 6 yEArs i'd sAy. it's kind Of A drAg thAt i missEd my stOp bUt At thE sAmE timE i'm cUriOUs tO rEvisit A pArt Of tOwn thAt i hAvEn't sEEn fOr sO lOng. As i EmErgE frOm thE sUbwAy i nOticE A wEird chAnting sAmplE thAt i'vE nEvEr hEArd bEfOrE On this mix. tUrns OUt it's nO sAmplE.
it's A mAssivE prOtEst AgAinst thE virtUAl gEnOcidE Of thE tAmils in thE sri lAnkAn civil wAr... And i'vE wAlkEd strAight intO it. mEgAphOnE mEssAgEs bOUncing All OvEr thE plAcE. thE prOtEst is pEAcEfUl bUt pAssiOnAtE.
bEfOrE i'vE EvEn mAdE sEnsE Of whAt thE prOtEst is ActUAlly AbOUt i stArt tO gEt thAt fEEling. i'm nO strAngEr tO thAt fEEling. it's A gOOd thing i hAd my sUnniEs On cAUsE thAt fEEling tEnds tO bring with it A fEw tEArs. it's thE fEEling i gEt whEn i'm At A dOpE cOncErt. it's thE fEEling i gOt whEn ObAmA wAs ElEctEd. it's thE fEEling i gEt whEn sOmEbOdy spEAks OUt. it's thE fEEling i gEt whEn A sitUAtiOn fOrcEs mE tO tAkE A stAnd. it's A fEEling thAt is EqUAl pArts sAdnEss & ExhilArAtiOn. thE ExhilArAtiOn cOmEs frOm finding A vOicE & hAving A sEnsE Of sOlidArity. thE sAdnEss cOmEs frOm knOwing thAt i cAn't AlwAys hAvE thE fEEling.
i'm lUcky tO hAvE stUmblEd AcrOss thE dEmOnstrAtiOn. i didn't knOw A whOlE lOt AbOUt thE plight Of thE tAmils in sri lAnkA. nOw i knOw mOrE. first lEt mE jUst mEntiOn thAt M.I.A. is tAmil. hEr fAthEr hAs bEEn EngAgEd in thE tAmil indEpEndEncE strUgglE sincE shE wAs A bAby.
thE tAmil tigErs ArE A sEpArAtist Army whO hAvE bEEn fighting fOr tAmil indEpEndEncE frOm sri lAnkA sincE 1983. thE cOnflict hAs clAimEd mOrE thAn 70000 livEs. thE wEstErn wOrld hAs - sUrprisE sUrprisE - slAppEd thE Ol 'TERRORIST' tAg On thE tAmil tigErs.... mEAnwhilE bAck At thE rAnch stAtE-spOnsOrEd Ethnic clEAnsing gOEs UnchEckEd. sO whO dEfinEs tErrOrism? thE 'WAR ON TERROR' bAnnEr gEts wAvEd ArOUnd A whOlE lOt thEsE dAys. sEEms tO mE thAt thE nOtiOn Of tErrOrism crEAtEs A vEry cOnvEniEnt 'Us & thEm' dichOtOmy which Only sErvEs tO mAkE thE sO-cAllEd first wOrld lOOk likE thE gOOd gUys. i smEll A rAt!
whAt wOUld yOU sAy cOnstitUtEs tErrOrism?
lOOk At thE indiscriminAtE viOlEncE thAt US fOrcEs hAvE inflictEd On irAqi civiliAns... i'd sAy thAt's tErrOrism. lOOk At thE tOxic chEmicAl wArfArE thAt isrAEli militAry hAvE UnlEAshEd On thE pAlEstiniAn pEOplE... sOUnds likE tErrOrism tO mE. isn't it strAngE thAt thE OpprEssOr criEs victim And thE OpprEssEd ArE brAndEd tErrOrists?
it's A mAssivE prOtEst AgAinst thE virtUAl gEnOcidE Of thE tAmils in thE sri lAnkAn civil wAr... And i'vE wAlkEd strAight intO it. mEgAphOnE mEssAgEs bOUncing All OvEr thE plAcE. thE prOtEst is pEAcEfUl bUt pAssiOnAtE.
bEfOrE i'vE EvEn mAdE sEnsE Of whAt thE prOtEst is ActUAlly AbOUt i stArt tO gEt thAt fEEling. i'm nO strAngEr tO thAt fEEling. it's A gOOd thing i hAd my sUnniEs On cAUsE thAt fEEling tEnds tO bring with it A fEw tEArs. it's thE fEEling i gEt whEn i'm At A dOpE cOncErt. it's thE fEEling i gOt whEn ObAmA wAs ElEctEd. it's thE fEEling i gEt whEn sOmEbOdy spEAks OUt. it's thE fEEling i gEt whEn A sitUAtiOn fOrcEs mE tO tAkE A stAnd. it's A fEEling thAt is EqUAl pArts sAdnEss & ExhilArAtiOn. thE ExhilArAtiOn cOmEs frOm finding A vOicE & hAving A sEnsE Of sOlidArity. thE sAdnEss cOmEs frOm knOwing thAt i cAn't AlwAys hAvE thE fEEling.
i'm lUcky tO hAvE stUmblEd AcrOss thE dEmOnstrAtiOn. i didn't knOw A whOlE lOt AbOUt thE plight Of thE tAmils in sri lAnkA. nOw i knOw mOrE. first lEt mE jUst mEntiOn thAt M.I.A. is tAmil. hEr fAthEr hAs bEEn EngAgEd in thE tAmil indEpEndEncE strUgglE sincE shE wAs A bAby.
thE tAmil tigErs ArE A sEpArAtist Army whO hAvE bEEn fighting fOr tAmil indEpEndEncE frOm sri lAnkA sincE 1983. thE cOnflict hAs clAimEd mOrE thAn 70000 livEs. thE wEstErn wOrld hAs - sUrprisE sUrprisE - slAppEd thE Ol 'TERRORIST' tAg On thE tAmil tigErs.... mEAnwhilE bAck At thE rAnch stAtE-spOnsOrEd Ethnic clEAnsing gOEs UnchEckEd. sO whO dEfinEs tErrOrism? thE 'WAR ON TERROR' bAnnEr gEts wAvEd ArOUnd A whOlE lOt thEsE dAys. sEEms tO mE thAt thE nOtiOn Of tErrOrism crEAtEs A vEry cOnvEniEnt 'Us & thEm' dichOtOmy which Only sErvEs tO mAkE thE sO-cAllEd first wOrld lOOk likE thE gOOd gUys. i smEll A rAt!
whAt wOUld yOU sAy cOnstitUtEs tErrOrism?
lOOk At thE indiscriminAtE viOlEncE thAt US fOrcEs hAvE inflictEd On irAqi civiliAns... i'd sAy thAt's tErrOrism. lOOk At thE tOxic chEmicAl wArfArE thAt isrAEli militAry hAvE UnlEAshEd On thE pAlEstiniAn pEOplE... sOUnds likE tErrOrism tO mE. isn't it strAngE thAt thE OpprEssOr criEs victim And thE OpprEssEd ArE brAndEd tErrOrists?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment