it dawned on me tonight, that no matter my experiences in life and travel…no matter my knowldege of current affairs or politics…what i know and what i understand are different things.
i was talking to a friend of mine tonight…halfway joking but mostly serious about him running for office at some point in the future. he’s from nigeria. an amazingly thoughtful – both in the full of thoughts and the kindness ways – man. i have grand visions of him being the kind of leader that most countries need.
i joked with him about how great it would be for me to know the president of nigeria. he joked with me about him getting shot in the process.
and all of a sudden it wasn’t funny to me anymore. the reality of violence in politics, one of the few horrible things america has not invited into the political arena, was something i knew but did not relate to. and it made me so sad…so sad to think of my beautiful, articulate, creative friend who has so much to offer the world and who has to consider in real terms what offering that up to his country might mean…not simply an invsion of privacy, not only attacks on his character…but the possiblity of attacks on him…in more than words.