The Great Migration

A group of migrants leaves a collection point in the village of Roszke, Hungary, September 7, 2015, as they decided to go the nearest town of Szeged. – Reuters/Marko Djurica

With the new millennium, Europe increasingly became a magnet for migrants. Such a migration engendered nativist movements, racism, and violence. (In the former East Germany, migrants’ hostels were firebombed at an alarming rate. In France, the National Front kept gaining in popularity as the immigrant population kept increasing.)

But what we’re seeing this year is something Europe hasn’t witnessed since the end of World War II. Frankly, it’s something Europe has never witnessed. A swathe of humanity is on the march, and it’s heading for European shores.

At the gates of St. Peter

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Even at a ripe 45, I have some of the sense of invulnerability that I had at 25. There is no good reason for me to be so confident; I have the physicals and admonitions from my doctor to prove so. But, I guess it’s better than being like some people, who treat every errant mole as a sign of the Grim Reaper’s impending visit.

However, everything ends. The one surety in life is that your time on Earth is short an precious. Would we appreciate life if we somehow discovered the fountain of youth? I don’t know. But the short lives we have now make every moment unique, of a singular nature, whether in joy or sorrow.

As life is short, something which always informs my decisions is the question: Am I making the world a better place. I’m not talking about great, macro-historical acts. I’m talking about the little things, the everyday kindnesses, the quotidian miracles which will not make it to the history books, but which may change a person’s life in innumerable ways for the better.

It’s a question by which I try to live. But it’s also a question which too few of our fellow citizens ask.

the beginning of the end?

BBC: The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. The court had accused him of crimes against humanity and of ordering attacks on civilians after an uprising against him began in mid-February. The Hague-based court also issued warrants for two of Col Gaddafi’s top aides – his son Saif al-Islam and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanussi.