Arab Spring, 2012

Media is best suited for representing violence, pain, suffering.

When the reality of the desert tribes caught the media’ attention,

It was made something new, breaking news.

But the reality of tribal violence, sanctioned by priests,

Chronicled in Sacred Scripture,

Authorized by law, theology, philosophy, revered by custom

Was always there—

Tribal warfare, warlord against warlord,

Zealot against zealot,

Landlord exploiting tenant,

Tenant abusing her family,

Tenant abusing his family,

Tenant selling her children into slavery,

Tenant selling his children into slavery.

 The Arab spring, 2012, was a media-generated event.

 A camera seized the image of the burning Tunisian, and

 The Arab spring came to be.

--August 19, 2013