Human Rights Day...and The Nobel Goes To a Jailed Activist

Dec 10th, every year, is Human Rights Day. I'd like to step on the soapbox for a second to encourage you to do something positive about it today, but Ethical Ocean already did an excellent job of it--and they sell awesome holiday stuff, so they actually give you a way how.

This year's Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is today, and the prize itself is being awarded to an empty chair--left for a guy currently in jail for peacefully protesting.

It's extra-plus-political, because China put him there, and everyone gets understandably twitchy around China. Especially when they tell you not to do something, and you go ahead and do it anyway.

Liu, from the Globe and Mail profile

Liu Xiaobo taught literature many moons ago, and joined his students in the Tiananmen Square protest and massacre in 1989. He's been jailed a number of times for speaking for democracy in China, and is conveniently jailed right now (they offered him release into exile for a signed confession, which he rejected).

Liu is awesome for a number of reasons, not least among them that he's proof that just because you got a literature degree doesn't mean you can't make a difference.

A salute and a nod, and a pantsload of money via the Nobel committee, to Liu Xiaobo--and an eyeball trained with interest on the reactions of China and their allies...