The Lowest of the Low

Not my photo.

It's amazing the depths of depravity man can sink to. And to what end? Greed? A lust for power?

I just finished watching a three part, Australian-produced documentary called, Go Back to Where You Came From. It's about the Australian government's inhumane policy of sending back boatloads of refugees from their shores to who-knows-where. These refugees who risked death on the high seas in a desperate attempt to flee for their lives were being turned away, good-bye. Good on you, Australia.

This documentary followed six ordinary Australians with different points of view on the policy as they experienced the very journey many of these refugees took as they fled their countries of origin because of war and/or persecution. The horrors they witnessed were staggering.

My rant is not only about the Australian government or some of the participants who shared their views, but the so-called "people" that caused these refugees to flee in the first place. They are the real animals here. They are the ones I refer to as being less than human in their treatment of others. The Australian government and a few of the people experiencing the refugees' plight can be characterized as selfish and less than empathetic in the kindest terms.

If you thought racism was bad in America, try Burma. The majority buddhists living there are systematically attacking and displacing the Muslim minority, Rohingya. The Rohingya are believed to be amongst the most persecuted groups in the world. They've been beaten and killed. Their homes and villages have been torched. Others have been relegated to living in tent cities that pretty much amount to vast open-air penitentiaries. One reporter wrote, "These aren’t refugee camps, they’re concentration camps."

This is one group of refugees the documentary had been focussing on. The other was a stateless Palestinian family fleeing persecution in Iraq. For some people, even if they're born in a certain country they have no rights to citizenship there. Even worse, they're under threat of beatings and kidnappings or worse. Like the Rohingya, they have no rights, cannot attend school or work.

It's unconscionable the sorts of things one human can do to another. That's the thing I don't understand. It's a vicious circle. It can start with a misunderstanding. One group feels slighted and retaliates and things escalate. Soon it's all out war with one ethnic group or one so-called religious group against another. People are lost in anger and all common sense is abandoned. It's absolutely insane.

Somewhere Between

I caught most of this movie on TVO (TV Ontario) a couple of nights ago. I was just flipping channels when I saw it. So I missed the first bit unfortunately.

The story of the adopted girls (who came from China to America) and the difficulties they faced regarding their situation (of being adopted) was very touching.

In some cases they had questions regarding their birth parents. Everyone wants to know their origin -  where they came from, if they had brothers or sisters, etc..

Another problem some of them struggled with was the notion of being abandoned by their birth parents. This was very hard for them to deal with.

On that subject I just watched another documentary called "Echoes" on TVO online in which the interviewed birth mothers from China about this. Let me tell you, in general they were disconsolate about their decisions to give their children up.

In some cases they faced outside pressure to give birth to a son, yes. But, in others, they just couldn't afford to take proper care of another child. So, in their minds, it was for the benefit of their baby that they gave her up. It was because they loved you that they "abandoned" you.

I just want to say, you are loved. Your birth mother loved you enough to give you up to have a better life. Your adoptive parents loved you enough to cross continents to find you and bring you home. Don't ever forget that.

Bully: The Movie

Alex, Kelby

I watched the movie Bully recently. It's a movie that I've been wanting to see ever since it came out in 2011. Directed by Lee Hirsch it's a documentary about peer to peer bullying in the American public school system. I'm sure what happened there can be extrapolated to include most schools worldwide.

While the subject of bullying isn't new it's still very painful to watch. The film follows a number of young students around and documents the abuse they endure each time the set foot outside their homes.

Kids are picked on (to an alarming degree) both physically and mentally because they are smaller, skinnier, look different or because of their sexual orientation. They are ostracized, put down and tormented constantly. Sometimes they manage to cope with help from their family or close friends. But, tragically, some find suicide their only escape.

I believe part of the problem (at least in this movie) lies with the school and the school board. They're either ignorant about the problem or they don't care enough to do anything about it. They say things like, "Kids will be kids." as if that's a valid excuse to ignore bullying. Of course, Kids will be kids. But, sometimes they have trouble grasping how damaging their taunting can be. As educators it's your job to teach them.

As well, intolerance is bred into some communities. There are so-called "Christian" communities in the U.S. (and elsewhere I'm sure) which preach hatred. Young people who don't fit in (i.e. gay or lesbian) are shunned. And it goes even further. Not only are they shunned, but their families are too. It's disgraceful. I suppose this is a worldwide problem.

One scene that infuriated me was when the principal at one school takes a young bullying victim aside after recess and asks him how he's doing. He's upset and tells her that this fellow has been bullying him. It's something that's been going on for awhile. The principal sees the bully and calls him over and tells the two of them (victim and bully) to shake hands as if this will magically mend fences. The victim refuses and is admonished by the principal. She tells him he's as bad as the bully for not shaking his hand (which is pretty f**k'd up if you ask me). He already feels like sh*t and you're making him feel even worse. Good job, you moron. The victim tells her the bully doesn't mean it and is just going through the motions, but the principal doesn't seem to understand. She seems to believe all the children under her stead are gentle, harmless souls without any fault.

One of the saddest moments was when one young boy (who was probably around 8 or 9) helped carry the casket of one of his friends (similar age) at his funeral. This was after he committed suicide due to being excessively bullied. It was heartbreaking. He (the boy who helped carry the casket) was once a bully himself, but realized the error of his ways and befriended this young lad. Still, this friendship wasn't enough to suppress the immense pain this lad felt and keep him from taking his own life.

I think this movie is a must see for anyone 8-years-old and up. It's such a valuable teaching tool and is sure to have a positive impact on anyone who watches it.

How to Grow a Planet

Not my photo - Professor Iain Stewart

TVO (TV Ontario) has some really great shows I must say. One type I quite enjoy are the nature documentaries. TVO aired a three-part BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) series recently called How to Grow a Planet. It was hosted by geologist Iain Stewart.

This program was utterly fascinating. It showed how plants played an all-important part in shaping not only our physical planet, but all life forms we see today - ourselves included.

We are shown the evolution of plants from humble, water-based life forms, to those which developed roots that allowed them to gain a foothold on land. This gradually transformed our planet from a desolate, barren rock to one teeming with life. Early plants (grasses and trees) provided sustenance for insects and other animals including the prehistoric dinosaurs.

This was followed by beautiful, complex flowering plants which use insects and other animals to pollenate and propagate. Many of these flowering plants produced seeds which could lie dormant until the most advantageous time for them to germinate arrived (rainy season for instance).

As well, a number of flowering plants provide fruit which sustain many different animals. This was another way for them to spread their seeds (which are in the fruit). After an animal consumes them the seeds pass through and are deposited elsewhere starting the cycle of life for that plant once again.

We see how they transformed our atmosphere from one that would be nearly impossible for any animal to survive in to one where we thrive. This was done by creating the oxygen we need to breathe.

At one time our planet's atmosphere was very different from how it is today. There was relatively little oxygen in the air. Plant life changed all this using the truly amazing process of photosynthesis. It's where plants combine sunlight with carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) to make the sugars it needs to survive. Its waste product - Oxygen.

If you have the time I'd highly suggest watching the videos. They're about an hour long each.

How to Grow a Planet: Life from Light

How to Grow a Planet: The Power of Flowers

How to Grow a Planet: The Challenger