Cairo and Jacques

Hosni Mubarak, after a 3 decade authoritarian rule over Egypt, was forced to resign by the military after a historical turnout of protesters amassed in Cairo, Alexandria and other cities around the country. The people have ousted their unwanted leader, demanding democracy and support from advocates of such.

While some Americans have, of course, voiced their approval of citizens exercising their right to protest and call for a more democratic government body, Mubarak is/was a longtime ally of our politicians and military. I'd have to ask why we've been aligned with him, if it's clear to see he is not an advocate of fundamental policies and rights we're so passionate about preserving. What was to gain? Were we in agreeance with how he was overseeing Egypt? Because it looks like the people of Egypt weren't.

This joyous occasion strikes me as both inspirational and disheartening, inspirational because it's proven to me that if an oppressed people can organize and rally behind what they think is right, can take up arms for justice and the pursuit of the truth, it's possible to move mountains... disheartening because not long ago I lived in a time when this needed to happen here, during the Bush Administration. Despite how corrupted and imploding the governmental system was, we remained divided and pinned.

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Nearly 10 years ago (2/3 into Hosni's ruling lulz), I made my very first friends/acquaintances on the Redwall Fanfiction Board. At that time Tsarmina ruled with an iron claw over the spiritually battered masses, much like Mubarak ruled over... alright alright, no more snark-y political humor! Tsa was the administrator, an uncorrupted one, but that would've been kinda silly if she was, because I think there were about 15 to 20 active members tops. Just imagining a plotting, power hungry cat hovering her paw over the "erase poster's comment" button gives me a fit of the giggles.

Many other familiars frequented the board, and most of us did not in fact write fan-fiction that was Redwall themed. In fact, a good number of us didn't even read the new additions to the series. If we DID rewrite parts of Jacques' universe, we'd turn it into a distorted, colder place. Freudian of us? Maybe, maybe not. The RFF reawakened my desire to write (stories, not songs). I even was inspired to write a song FOR the RFF, lyrically including some of the prominent members. One writer there was directly inspirational to me, and I even took one of her characters and wrote a fanfiction FOR a fanfiction. Pretty dorky stuff, eh?

Why mention all this... well, I'd say because a few of these kids have indirectly informed me that Brian Jacques, the man responsible for Redwall and all it entailed, has passed away this month. Some of them have said they would've ended up illiterate if it hadn't been for Redwall awakening them to the concept that at a young age, reading could be fun. You could have that want and it didn't have to be planted inside of you by someone of authority. Maybe that wasn't their exact sentiment... but it'd have to be mine. This man singlehandedly compelled me to procure a library card. This man made it possible for me to (annoyingly) use a word like "eolian" in a sentence. I have a permanent thesaurus fetish because of this person. This journal WOULD NOT EXIST IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR THIS DUDE (much to our chagrin). Believe me Jesus I wouldn't have read or wrote so many wordy words if it hadn't been for this Thunder Lord... but more importantly (and less humorously), I'd say thank you to Brian for inexorably steering me towards the friends and talented young minds at the Redwall Fanfiction Board. The RFF is a gem among imitators and uppity, elitist literature buffs... and by all that is holy, I started using the internet because of the RFF. My god... by this reasoning, one could surmise that I eventually became a homosexual because of Brian Jacques. From Redwall, to the RFF, to a new found fascination with the internet, to following Snitter's (an RFFer) online comic, to meeting Renard on the discussion board for said comic, to [chain of expletives deleted] by candlelight... no! NO! You will PAY FOR THIS JACQUES! You... wait, self-realization is priceless, one of the most valuable things to me on this earth... and now, after all that's said and done, I have a love inside of me that is honest and incorruptible. Alright, maybe not a fie unto thee, Brian. Well played sir.