Monks Protesting in Burma

There is something about what is happening in Burma right now that is fascinating to me. The Buddhist monks, the most revered in the culture, have been marching, unmolested by the military forces so far, for four straight days, in protest. They use their upturned alms cups to signify their protest as the symbol for "boycott" looks like the same as the upturned bowl. In one area, monks reportedly marched in protest barefoot through flood waters at least knee high. A woman was moved to tears upon seeing the monks, according to the AP story, that the monks would do march so far and in the pouring rain and floods for the people.

I feel something when I read about these stories, and it lifts my heart full of hope. It feels like there is this chance for a wonderful change. However, I also feel like the shoe is about to drop. I remember 1989 - that schizophrenic year when the Berlin Wall came down, Romania was delivered the dictatorship of Ceausescu and over in China, a protest ended in a blood bath, known as Tienanmen Square. As I read the reports out of Burma, I can't help but wonder, will this be a Berlin Wall moment or will it be another Tienanmen Square?

"They got the guns but we got the power" - Jim Morrison sang that... I think he was high. The people with the guns will almost always have the power over the people who don't, unless they are afraid to use them for one reason or another. I sincerely hope they will be too afraid/intimidated/shamed to use them against the holy monks of Burma, since the military goverment has use them against their own people to retain power in the past and shows no sign of changing that policy.

Funny how we really don't care about democracy over in Burma. It's kind of hard to really find news about it. The news is pretty much the same story, but there are at least 100 reporters covering Brittney Spears, and I'm sure I am underestimating. Yeah, my next rant... and I hope it's tomorrow... is going to be on the media's total assassination of Dan Rather because he had the balls and dared to sue some pretty rich and powerful people (that's RAPP to you and me).

Look forward to your next visit with Bad Kitty and don't mind the fur ball I coughed up behind the couch. Purr.....