Dying with the Dead I know that is a morbid title for my post, and that I have almost NEVER made a political nor editorial post in my 3 years of xangering. Yesterday I arrived at Au Bon Pain a little earlier than my friend, whom I was to meet to discuss a certain event. While I waited, I read the day's editorials in the Bangkok post and it told about the April 6th tragic deaths of a truckload of Burmese illegal migrants. It told of how the police are responsible. The story is here .http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/24Apr2008_news19.php 
Briefly...121 people were being transported in a cold-storage truck with no ventilation. One of the migrants called from the back of the truck to tell the driver that is was too hot, that they couldn't breath, but the driver then turned his phone off. 54 of them died before arrival. The driver fled. He has since been found. I tried imagining what it would have been like... complete darkness. Heat. Fear. Panic. Try to think of what it would have been like, pounding on the sides of that container, standing in a packed crowd, perhaps next to your sister or your mom or your best friend. Then to realise that people were dying. All around you, people dropping and slouching, clawing and fighting, perhaps, with the last fight for survival. Some onlookers will protest that, "They shouldn't be fleeing their country in the first place, trying to take advantage of another country's social systems!" Just do some serious homework and see how long you would last in a country like Myanmar (Burma). Or Congo. Or... How can this happen in 2008? What good is saving the planet from global warming when the world is killing itself? The smallest fraction of the earth's population argues for its rights for health care, education and freedom of speech, while the largest fraction feels 'blessed' when they get through the day without having their daughters raped again. Just this past Sunday, the pastor of a prominent church in Bkk gave a sermon on the evils of drinking alcohol. FOR CRYING OUTLOUD!! REALLY?? Are people still asking THAT question? Bless your religious little heart but I fear you may be dying of cancer while you are more worried about the blackhead on your nose! Would you serve that message to the 121 Burmese migrants if you had 'church' in that truck?? Go ahead, but don't even DARE camouflage that message in the name of Jesus. By the way, I am wondering if you even heard this story in America, Canada or the UK? We are all aware of how Hillary has come near the end of her campaign funding; that I can refer to her as just Hilary and everyone knows who I am talking about; how things are going with American troops in Iraq; how Paris and Nicole and Lindsay are spending their time and money; how much money that latest blockbuster is making... I am a part of that small, small fraction who loves her rights. It's like so few of us can reach the top shelf, yet almost everything we need is up there. When my son, Jordan, was in 1st grade, he was the tallest and biggest kid in his class. He could have easily bullied the others however I told him over and over that the reason he is bigger is so that he can reach the things in high places and pass them on to the smaller kids who can't reach. The reason he is stronger is so that he can lift things for the weaker ones. Or if you find yourself sometimes smarter than someone, it's so that you can explain things to them. I tried to explain that size, strength and brains were never meant to help us dominate others. I think we need to pass that message on... More than the truckloads, there are country-loads of people who need help from the top shelf. What are we waiting for? | 
