The information that Assange’s partner stated recently calling him a wilting flower reminded me of last Fall. I came out of work and it was the last really nice day of the year. There is a grassy field behind the building and I could see all the monarch butterflies and little yellow butterflies flitting from flower to flower. I stood and watched realizing that night would be the first real hard frost of Fall. It made me feel very sad to know it was the end of their beauty for the year. Knowing that they the beauty of summer would soon be the cold of winter.
Assange has slowly wilted away from the frost of Belmarsh prison. The once brilliant, articulate man has trouble “thinking” when he is in court and no longer has the bright happy smile he once dazzled people with. A star is burning out in a slow burn. The worst part of this catastrophe is that his toddler children will never know the genius he was. They may never even get to know their father at all. His partner may never have the memories most people in love get to share from here on out. This is simply because a government is ashamed of their behavior and tried to hide it unsuccessfully. It is due to a man who could not bear the injustice being served to the innocent.
Can Assange be saved? Yes, we can do that if the masses will pull together but he will never be the same. We let this happen. We watched as he slowly deteriorated in the Ecuadorian Embassy thinking he was safe as long as he had asylum. Many ignored his worsening health and outward appearance. There were a few of us who fought but not enough. Now his blood will not only be on the hands of those seeking to martyr him but those who remain complacent.
Many say, there are much worse crimes being done to humanity, why should I try to save Assange? I will tell you why. We cannot completely obliterate evil in this world but a little change goes far in the scheme of life. Let me give you an example of how one person changed history.
The story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar is a very sad tale. God had promised Abraham a son but Sarah had barren for many, many years. Sarah didn’t have the faith to trust in God so she turned to her servant Hagar to do what she was not able to do herself. She sent her into Abraham’s tent. Hagar gave birth to a son. Out of jealousy and rage, Sarah had Hagar and her son cast out into the desert. Due to one person’s act, a hatred that has lasted thousands of years was born. Many say Ishmael was the father of the Mideast which led to Islam. Sarah’s son Isaac was literally the father of the Jewish people. Think of the lives this would have saved had Sarah just waited.
How does this relate to Assange? By saving one person, a father, a son, a brother, and a friend, we can start something that future generations will be affected by. We can begin something by simply freeing Assange who is literally giving his life for truth and justice. We can save a hero and the story will be told for centuries or we can remain complacent and he can be another martyr. The choice is yours my friend.