As Dorothy said to the Lion, "My goodness, what a fuss you're making".
We need to celebrate Mr. Tibi's protest. It was non-violent, and, I would say, effective. Here is a link to the 9 minute interview on CBC news where Mr. Tibi gets to explain why he felt that he had to walk out. (editors note: It's not on youtube, so, there is no way to paste the actual video onto this blog).
Ahmad Tibi: Why I walked out on Stephen Harper's speech
When I listened to Mr. Tibi's explanation, I learned his point of view. While not in the same room together, I still was able to understand why he felt he had to do what he did.
If we don't take the time to listen to non-violent communication, what's the alternative? Suicide bombers killing innocent children?
Remember the 1968 Summer Olympics when the U.S., and even some black athletes from other countries protested the treatment of blacks in the U.S. Now that also drew a slew of protests from around the U.S. But, what people didn't do, was listen to what the Athlete's were saying.
What a pity, in retrospect, what an effective way for people who believe that they could make a difference, to tell the world. And, following that protest, I also remember "what a fuss everyone made".
That was followed by the riots during the Democratic Convention in Chicago and many a violent protest thereafter.
On the week of Martin Luther King Day, shouldn't we be saluting and listening to non-violent protest. If we don't, we are saying to the "violent", you're right, we don't hear non-violence, only violence.
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