I was utterly shocked to find out on my birthday that Julian Assange would indeed be extradited to the US for prosecution. I was shocked but not entirely surprised… I’ve only seen the headlines so far therefore I’m not sure when or if a transfer date has been set just yet. I stopped watching the news altogether about a month after moving into my new home; I no longer had the capacity or room to absorb the perpetual drama and weariness of the world. That said, I feared this would come to pass for the determination to nail the man down and make an example out of him was rather extreme. In granting the request, British home secretary Priti Patel dealt a vicious blow of astronomical proportions to press freedom. It is devastating news for more reasons than I can list here - truly catastrophic. The public has every right to know what their governments are doing in their name. Assange is a modern day hero and mastermind who should be revered, upheld by the international community and awarded the crown jewels of journalism. It is scary to think about the ramifications of destroying a man’s life for great acts of valor and bravery in the service of humanity at large and the safety of ordinary civilians. America seems blissfully unconcerned with what such actions mean for journalism and the integrity of the profession itself. It’s business as usual while freedom of press is casually being held captive and publicly - repeatedly - raped. His poor wife has been tirelessly campaigning for his release, alerting the world about his declining health. What now? What are the citizens of the world and their institutions prepared to do in order to protect truth tellers? How will we respond to this assault? Will we rise up to defend him? Will Americans protest? I’m not feeling the outrage and it’s heartbreaking… The news here tend to keep us in the dark but I wonder if Americans are paying close attention. If they aren’t… Well, they really should. This is a defining moment in history which demands that we stay engaged. It’s only getting darker, muddier. Sending love and light to Julian Assange and his family; I pray they find the strength to push through and keep up the fight. It’s been a decade long ordeal… They must be so so tired.

#DemocracyIsMyth #WikiLeaks #FreedomOfPress #TruthMatters #FreeAssangeNow #AccountabilityMatters #AssangeMyHero