silence of the lambs...

i read an interesting statistic...and even if it is slightly off, it is horrifying...only 58% of eligible voters showed up this past november...even if you take away those who may have had legitimate reasons...it is sobering...the lowest voter turnout in 20 years...i can hear some of you...you are saying you just couldn't do it...there was no choice for you...and i can understand...to a degree...but look at the bigger picture...spin the globe..land on sudan...no oil there?...keep spinning...land on syria...death and despair...no way out...maybe you think...well, look at putin...look what he did...now there's a cease fire...true...but the cost...google assad and his human rights record...look at a map of syria...see that place called tartus...what a nice port...a lovely place for the russian navy to set up camp...because while putin and his boots slosh through the blood of children, that's what he sees...think of all those people...dead...what they would have done for a fraction of the rights we casually toss with the garbage...today and this weekend, we celebrate martin luther king...time to get beyond a sale day at macy's or afternoon at the movies...time to look at those who marched...and those who are marching this weekend...next weekend...and who continue to march for the respect of basic human rights and dignity...these are days to respect those who do...and for those who do march, to respect those who do not...the coin is two-sided...and different...but it is still the same coin...and for so many on this earth, we, the united states, are that shining coin...ripe with choice and rights...and so on this january 15th i choose to hold this quote from dr. king close to my heart..."our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"...