To Die For...

On the morning of the Battle of Big Horn, Crazy Horse rose early to meet the dawn and paid homage to his creator. He then turned to his brave band of Indians and said ..

"Today is a great day to die....”

Is today, or any day for that matter, a great day to die?!

It is, if you believe enough in what your doing....

As the Rebels close in on Tripoli....an all too apparent realization washes over me.

They bid goodbye to their families and joined the mobs of men heading to ‘liberate’ Tripoli and dispose of the Gaddafi Regime. They were from all different backgrounds, tribes and professions, but they all shared one thing in common. They were there to lay down their lives for their belief in what they were doing.

They were prepared to die.

It has always fascinated me. Men, women and children who are prepared to die for what they believe in.

Those of us growing up in developed westernized nations may find it hard to relate to. We all live in relatively cushy worlds, rebellions, revolts and revolutions dont really exist. Laying down your life for David Cameron or dying for your belief in capitalism is just something that we are not really prepared to do.

Take religion out of this equation and you are left with men and women who are described by some as ‘Freedom Fighters’ and by others as ‘Terrorists’.

Similar words are thrown around, separatist, liberator, revolutionary, vigilante, militant, paramilitary, guerilla, rebel even patriot to name but a few. They all fascinate me because they all have something in common.

The willingness and commitment to die.

The aphorism is all too cliche, ‘One mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter’.

So as the rebels march forward on Tripoli, the sons of Libya are risking their life for a post- Gaddafi life. A single sniper bullet could end their lives instantly, a tank shell could blow them to pieces any second, but they march on.

Death may scare them, but death is the ultimate sacrifice for ones freedom.

“They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freeeeedom!!!” - William Wallace.

I have made a list of current conflicts around the world that severely hinder travel on a domestic level around the world. There you will find, men women and children who are believe that today, may just well be, a great day to die.

(Note that I have not added to this list any religious based organization or groups who have been criminally inspired)

Rebels in Libya

Colombia - FARC and the ELN

MEND in Niger Delta of Nigeria

Philippines - New Peoples Army

Northern Ireland - IRA, UVF

Spain - ETA

Peru - Shining Path

Turkey - PKK

Every day the members of these groups wake up, they are prepared to die.

I wonder what today has in stall for them.