Iranian Elections. (repost)

So, the past few nights I have stayed up into the early hours of the morning reading the Internet protest and update from what's going on in Iran. Their election was stolen from them and they have decided to take it back. I've been surprised at how attached I have become to a few people on the other side of the world relaying 140 character messages at a time. Real time updates from a real life lie effecting millions of people.

There have been students killed, students my age, taking similar classes, thinking similar thoughts, reading similar things, with the same wants and likes as myself. Though twitter is simply a collection of short statements, these people have made it so personal. Whether or not someone can place themselves entirely in another person's shoes is debatable but I have felt their fear, their hope and their outrage to a larger degree than I could have thru other media sources.

There have been many links shared by the Iranian twitters as well. Photos, videos and blogs have been accessible to the world that otherwise would have been very hard to find. This Boston Globe story has some very powerful pictures of the movement thus far:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html

The giant conversation that is twitter has opened allowed world into the lives of the Iranian people. It is different than reading an article or a book or watching the evening news because it is happening now. Tweets are posted instantly, so we are connected to the "right-now" on the other side of the world. Twitter has made Iran feel like my next door neighbor. It has made me involved, at the least on an emotional level.

Just search #iranelection on twitter and see what is being said.

I send my best wishes and prayers to those fighting to be heard. You have friends around the globe now and we are watching.

with love,
Jake