Egyptian Officials: Not so Powerful Anymore

For centuries, the citizens of Egypt have been under the rigid power and control of their government and police officers. Within the past couple years, people are finally protesting and even standing up to face these figures. The article “Whence the Revolution” truly interested me. The way some of the citizens were beaten, falsely convicted of crimes, and even sodomized by their policemen disgusted me and I have to say, it really made me thankful that I live in a country where events like that would never happen. However, this article also made me proud that people like Wael Abbas, Hossam el Hamalawy, and Alaa al Aswany still exist and despite the threats, stand up to revolt in such a harsh and authoritative environment. The life of a typical Egyptian citizen is not an easy one, with wages that barely keep 1 person (let alone a family of 4) out of poverty and constant oppression from those more powerful. It is truly depressing that as I sit here with my apple laptop, watching my favorite show, not very stressed, there is so much misery and hardship in other countries. These people live everyday in fear and at the same time, work countless hours to create the best life they can for themselves and their loved ones. It is an exhausting life, so when I read about those people that decided to sleep on sidewalks for days, wearing nothing but rags to object such a brutal government, it gives me a sense that we can all push just a little bit harder against those that unfairly control us. I cannot compare anything I’ve gone through to what these Egyptians have experienced, but their actions lead me to believe that good people with strong morals can make more of a difference than harsh dictators.