31 Years ago...

i can tell you that since 1975 (31 years ago) alot has happenned. The first thing that comes to mind is the Star Wars Trilogy. I mean Georges Lucas came up with the most addictive and astonishing special effects mankind will ever witness. The Second thing, is the peace treaty signed in 1979 between Egypt's Anwar Sadat and Israel's Menachem Begin. Now for all of you who don't know, April 13 1975 is a date engraved in each and every lebanese heart around the world. 31 years ago, a large mass had gathered at noon near a church that was to be committed to Pierre Gemayel, the chief of the Lebanese Phalangist Party (al-Kata'ib/Kataeb) -Pierre Gemayel is a man who always stood for Lebanese wellbeing before all else, a proud Arab nationalist- As the group of well-wishers, friends, and family met around the church in the predominantly Christian district of Ain el-Rumaneih, a car with masked license plates got through Gemayel's security lines and what appeared to be Palestinian commandos opened fire on the group. Later that same day, as the confusion subsided, a bus carrying Palestinian commandos returning from a rally organized by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) ran the Phalangist security net near the church and sparked a violent conflict. My point being is that 31 years ago, the Lebanese civil war erupted and led us to a bloodshed that affected each and every lebanese. It lasted 15 years. 5475 days of bomb-shedding. and Here we are...31 years later... virtually back to the same issues that led to our 15 years of chaotic hostilities.... Apparently the entire world can move on, create trilogies, sign peace treaties, but lebanese people are cursed... unfortunately it's like we're on this turning wheel that takes us back to point zero.

One.

Fellow citizens,

I stand before you today, contemplating what our leaders have been fabricating for the last months and ask myself: "What are we really expecting?"
Do I need to remind you that the same people that are sitting on the round table today began all the riots and ignited sectarianism clashes?
I am writing for all of you to remember, for all of you FPM, LF, Hizbullah, Hariri, Joumblat and Pro-Syrian followers. For all of you who like me, had the chance to get educated and learn history, thus learn from our leaders' mistakes. We are missing out on a large scale revolution. The largest our country has ever seen and will probably ever host. We are missing out on the one and only chance to experience change. We are missing out on the one and only chance to rewrite history. The one and only chance to build a better country. Let us set the example for others and let us be innovative for once.

Hence, i ask you today to put aside our differences, put aside each of our political affiliations and join all together. Let us for once be one. We need new faces on the political scene. New voices to be heard and best of all, a new hope. All i ask of you today is to question yourself if your "supposed to be" Leader really reflects your views. For once try and be sincere to yourself and please try to make up your own mind putting aside who our parents lean to.

We cannot afford to be followers and miss out on the biggest revolution Lebanon will ever witness. For once people, try and think outside the box.