If you're wondering where today's Gandhi is, she's in a little-discussed country that used to be called Burma.
Her name is Aung San Suu Kyi, and, like Nelson Mandela, she has been under arrest for several decades now for having the gall to press for freedom in the country now known as Myanmar.
In fact, since 1990 Suu Kyi, the National League for Democracy leader whose pro-freedom father was assassinated in 1947, has been prime-minister-elect. But the ruling military junta invalidated the election results and has kept her under its thumb ever since.
When they allowed her out of her house in 2002, the tyrants of Myanmar were upset at the adoring crowds that gathered around her. They couldn't allow that, of course.
And now she is on trial for violating her detention because -- get this -- a rogue American fan swam through a lake to her property and spent a couple nights. She, in effect, stands charged with hospitality.
She faces five years' detention in prison if convicted. The government's verdict is expected Friday.
We already know the verdict.
She's guilty.
She's guilty of spreading freedom. She's guilty of assuming a leadership role in a peaceful democratic cause. She's guilty of giving up her family life to lead it.
Just consider the latter: Suu Kyi, having married and started a family abroad, returned to Myanmar to care for her dying mother. She ended up leading the freedom movement and living apart from her family. When her husband Michael was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in the late 1990s, the junta wouldn't allow him a visa to come see her -- and she knew if she left the country, she wouldn't be allowed to return.
She chose to stay for her country's sake -- a valiant woman standing up to an evil ruling cabal -- and never got to see her dying husband again.
If you ever wondered where the spirit of Gandhi and Mandela has gone -- it's quite alive and imprisoned in Myanmar.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
That's an important story, but I'd like to see more journalists standing up for those dissidents imprisoned under Communism. Read about Zheng Enchong and Zhao Yan and realize how lucky we are to live in capitalistic, constitutional America.
An important story, for sure. Suu Kyi is the type of patriot that will lead Myanmar out of the dark ages. Let's hope we don't offer the help we gave Mandela. Look what a fine, aides infested, cannibalistic, third world country South Africa is today. I doubt Myanmar wants that kind of help.
Pay attention to stories like this because if our government continues on its path this will be happening in the United States in short order. The current spate of emergency legislation or, if you can't wait, signing orders to accomplish what can't "wait" on legislation is turning loyal patriots into government opponents according to those who want to change our country's very fiber. Our constitution has been totally ignored, congress has abdicated its seat as legislators for the good of the whole country, the protector of the constitution has gone way beyond any powers authorized by that very document and our forefathers are turning in their graves. We look on stories about political prisoners in other countries with sympathy or apathy, but if the promised "hope and change" continues we will soon see the same thing here. Riverman1, we are blessed to live here but as citizens we have fallen asleep at the wheel, we've elected those with a personal agenda who allow lobbyists to determine their votes, and in a really intelligent move have elected a man with no experience at doing anything as leader of what is today the free world - who knows about tomorrow?
When you elect a Communist, you get Communist policy. Everyone should be being fitted for their Mao jackets now. Obama has named as his "Green Jobs Czar" a man named Van Jones. Van Jones is an avowed Communist and a man who openly admits to being a radical racist....who became radicalized while in jail. Is he really working on "green jobs". No, his is working on organizing a coalition of several groups into one organzation under the code name of the "Apollo" project. He is combining the Unions, the green movement organizations such as Green Peace, and ACORN into one organization to "guide" government policy. It is supposed to be the "green" version of the Communist Workers Party. How ACORN got involved with "workers" I'll never know, but Van Jones is black and I am sure ACORN thinks there is more government money in it for them if they support his Communist effort at heavy handed influence at the Czar level. Wake up working class America. You ain't got much left and they are scheming to take that as you SLEEP. Come out of that coma and LOCK AND LOAD. This is a communist takeover and it's going to get ugly really quick. The 2010 elections will be too late...do something NOW.