At Least We're Not...

Like many people, I am troubled over the increasingly hateful rhetoric of this campaign season.  I am saddened by people's comments in facebook newsfeeds and other online forums and it leaves me wondering how we got here as a nation.  We read an excerpt of Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea and I found myself thinking, "at least we don't live in North Korea."

Then, as I continued my quest to read all of the Reading Olympic books before the competition, I moved on to Jennifer Nielsen's A Night Divided. This tells the story of Gerta, a girl who is suddenly left with half a family when the Berlin wall goes up overnight.  Her father and brother had left to find an apartment in West Berlin when the wall went up, so just like that they are separated.

As I read about Gerta's life I was astounded by her principles, the way she was able to hold on to her dream for freedom-even with the Stasi hounding her every move.  I was saddened by the way the government disrupted Gerta's friendships, caused her family distress, and created a climate of fear. I think the most heartbreaking scene is when Gerta sees her father across the wall and knows there is no way she can get to him.  Her father pantomimes a song they used to sing complete with motions.  At first she thinks it's just a reminder of happier times, but then she wonders what if it's something more?

Our country isn't perfect, but at least it isn't East Berlin....or North Korea.

Fighting for freedom...that's kids stuff.