Memory Dignity Justice

On Saturday I went to a demonstration in support of the families and friends of the 25 people that were killed over an 18 month period by a single ETA terrorist whom the government is preparing to set free after spending 19 years in prison. This man has never apologized for his crimes and has written threatening letters to judges and elected officials from his cell that have been published in newspapers sympathetic to the separatist terrorist group. Ever since the government initiated its so-called peace process the victims have become the criminals and the criminals the victims.

I took the camera with me just in case there were some photo opportunities and also to have something to entertain myself with during the long wait before the event got underway. I always prefer to carry the camera and take no pictures than to not have it and miss a great shot.

As it happens I was in a pretty good spot and the light was good. I had no idea that during the event one of the volunteers was going to approach me to suggest that I go up onto one of the TV platforms that had been set up for the event but was not being used. When I climbed up the ladder and stepped out onto the platform and gazed out at the sea of faces below me I couldn’t believe my eyes.

The courageous relatives who volunteered to tell their stories, many addressing the terrorists and political officials by name, pleaded for memory, dignity and justice.

Forum Etiquette

There was a post in my forum asking about the difference between the words small and little. This type of question is very common in foreign language forums where native speakers of a language help learners. If you put yourself in the position of the teacher you will see the problem with this question. Imagine that someone asks you what they should wear but they don’t tell you why they are asking. You’re certainly not going to waste your time explaining what clothes to wear in every possible situation. Not knowing how much information will be necessary to satisfy the learner, there is a good chance that the teacher will skip the issue all together. However, if the student writes a few sentences using the words in question then the teacher will be much more inclined to make corrections and can, at his or her discretion, add an appropriate explanation.