We are citizens of the world, and our voice matters

I am angry.

I am angry because two young Australian men are to be shot by firing squad in Indonesia.

Sure, they committed a crime, which was to try to bring a large amount of heroin into Australia. That was 10 years ago. Sure, they need to be held to account. But shot to death? Really? Is that what a civilised society does?

I am angry because the Australian Federal Police worked with Indonesia to capture the Bali Nine, but didn’t wait till they got back to Australia. Instead, they subjected nine young people to a dark ages justice system. And, because it is the Australian Federal Police, we may never know the deal that was done behind closed doors to get this sting in play. But whatever it was, I really wonder if it was worth it for the AFP. (Having the capture occur in Bali instead of Australia.)

I am angry because we have a system that is designed to do exactly what has happened…seduce young people with money to do bad things. Seduce people to go on drugs in the first place. Keep trying to put a band-aid on the symptoms rather than address the problem…where very powerful people profit from having the young, naive and desperate be exploited for crime. I am angry because we are all the Bali Nine in some way…being exploited by power to buy stuff we don’t want, to mortgage our lives up to the wazoo..to be the puppets of ignorance in a very big game.

I am angry because Bali, a place I have never been to and have no desire to visit, refuses to have the executions occur on the island of Bali because it will disrupt the harmony of the island. No kidding. Let’s just take the problem to another island so that the harmony disruption can be transferred. Shame on you, Bali, for not having the balls to say that shooting people to death, in any language, in any country, in any part of the world, is wrong.

I am angry because Indonesia fights like heck to prevent its Nationals from being executed in other countries, yet is blind to those of the same fate in Indonesia.

I am angry because these two young men have actually rehabilitated and are doing good things for many others. The cost of shooting them far exceeds the cost of keeping them alive. Why, oh why, cannot the President of Indonesia see the whole picture and not just a narrow view? The eye-for-an-eye version of justice. Really? And that type of ‘justice’ has worked…like when? Show me one time, ever, where an eye-for-an-eye has worked? Just one? Anywhere, as far back in history as you would like to go.

All of this anger raging in me…and then this….

Random audio whilst out running this morning…. Azim Khamisa speaking about forgiveness…speaking about his only 20 year old son being shot and killed while delivering pizza by a 14 year old boy in a senseless gang related incident…and his story of forgiveness…where now, as the shooter, aged 31, is finishing his degree in child psychology and will leave prison to work with kids on the streets to prevent more senseless killing….but not only that…he will work with the foundation set up by Azim to honour his dead son. This…I want to see this in the world. This is what is possible…

Not some pig-headed President of some country (including the USA) acting from a medieval impulse of an eye-for-an-eye justice. Goodness knows, we are watching enough of the return of the dark ages with ISIL

If a country wants to shoot or kill its own people, then so be it…the citizens of that country need to take a stand. But shooting foreigners, especially when the crime was part of a joint operation, is not acceptable.

I am a stand for #boycottbali. #boycottindonesia. We are citizens of the world, and our voice matters. One of the ways we can let the Government of Indonesia know that its justice system is not fit for a civil society is to boycott. Vote with your feet.

Finally, because when there seems little else to do…I have been praying that President Widodo will find it in his heart to not have these young men shot to death….that he might find instead the greatest of human capacities, compassion.