Britain's Times named Tunisian fruitseller 'person of 2011'

A photo taken on Nov 15, 2011 shows a poster featuring Mohamed Bouazizi, the fruitseller whose self-immolation sparked the revolution that ousted a dictator in Tunisia and ignited the Arab Spring. -- PHOTO: AFP

Bouazizi, the Tunisian fruit seller who unwittingly started a wave of protests known as the Arab Spring, as its person of 2011.

The 26-year-old from a poor family set himself alight in the town of Sidi Bouzid on Dec 17, 2010, in protest against harassment by officials, and died from his burns in early January.

His actions sparked a revolt that toppled president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and ignited protests across the region which ultimately led to the fall of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

'Mr Bouazizi takes his place with other figures whose willingness to see through the charade of oppressive rule elevated them beyond the drudgeries and petty humiliations of commonplace existence,' The Times said in an editorial.

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Hi Luis,
It is sad when it takes the death of one innocent person to make changes for the good. There are people in many countries that would like to see changes for good, but no one is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. There are so many stories just like this one, where those in power abuse their authority. Here is an example. A woman in Ohio called the police after she was assaulted by her cousin.

Shortly after Shirley moved to Indianapolis to live with me, she told me a story that was shocking, because I did not believe that things like this could happen. She was living at home with her parents until she was twenty-one. Her father passed away in his bed and it became too much for her mother to handle. Eventually, her mother was placed in a hospital for her own protection and Shirley had to find an apartment for herself. Shirley had always trusted people, but was not used to living on her own. She basically stayed to herself, not having many friends and one night there was a knock on the door. She had cashed a check at the bank earlier that day and perhaps was counting the money as she walked back to her apartment. Without thinking she opened the door, not looking to see who it was first. Three big teenagers pushed the door open and knocked her down. One of them pushed her into the bedroom and forced her down on the bed, while the other two went through her pocketbook taking all the money that she had. They also had their way with her. The Landlord heard the screaming and called the police. As the police cars approached with the sirens blasting, the three teenagers climbed out the window. When the two police officers arrived, with tear soaked eyes, Shirley began to tell them what had happened. Then, she began to cry even more because through her tears she could see that one of the officers was undoing his belt. Instead of being saved, Shirley was assaulted (raped), by those who had come to save her. When they finished, they laughed, said, "Have a good night." and left. Shirley crawled out of her bed and went to her living room window just in time to see the police officers under a street light with the three teenagers. What she saw next shocked her even more. The teenagers gave them some of the money that they had stolen. I asked her if she reported it, and said that she was going to but she did not have a phone. The following morning she went to her church and told her priest about it, asking if he could go to the police station with her. She described all five assailants to him. They were all parishoners of his church. He shhok his head and said, "No child. Do not report it. We will take up an extra collection this Sunday for you." She could not believe her ears. She had gone to him for help. As she got up to leave, the priest made her go to the alter and say pentence for her sins. She went to the police anyway and when the desk sargeant read her report along with the names of the two police officers, he sighed, crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the trash. He than gave her a menacing look and said, "That will be all. I have filed your report. You can leave now." This was in 1969, when you did not have the right to report things like that. The Law was the authority and you did not cross their line. She has never forgotten that incident, and I don't imagine she ever will.
I often wonder why those from other parts of the Galaxy would even want to save a race like ours.
GOD BLESS YOU
~Mike~
http://www.countryvalues65.com