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A Lonely Trip Into The Future

 
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Maurice Ali



Joined: 14 Nov 2003
Posts: 7654
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 6:11 am    Post subject: A Lonely Trip Into The Future Reply with quote

A Lonely Trip Into Future


By Maurice Ali, Journalist





What kind of man does it take to foolishly try to undertake the task of keeping free speech and freedom of thought alive. Well, the actual task could be construed as ridiculous and the person trying to achieve this ridiculous goal as insane.....

But is it really that ridiculous or insane? Just what kind of person would we need for this type of challenge anyway; and why did I decide to go ahead with this endeavor anyway? The answer, for me, lies in the history of that particular individual, and how this affects his relationship with the world around him.




I was born a Black boy in a White world with a Moslem name back in the late fifties. Because I grew up in this place, I could never rationalize what was happening to me at the time. All children just want to fit in an be loved and accepted into society, so when my race became an issue, my psychological development changed for the worse. This probably started at about six with my first days of school. Even though I was the only Black kid around, I was still taunted with racial names and such, I would run home crying and such, I still sucked my thumb and all..... Not to get too involved in one person's life; what I want to impress on you is how my identity rapidly turned to me vs the world, or the apt named: individual vs the collective.




Isolation became even more defined when personal sexual development was not possible in that racist atmosphere of years gone by. With no racial group to fall back to, I must have been pretty pathetic as I still wished to fit in. Anyway, we moved from Edmonton, Alberta to Toronto when I was fifteen and I finally saw colored people on a regular basis. But the damage was there. Strangely, I never could figure out why things always went against me, I had no idea how hard it would have been for a girl to even think about dating a Black guy in those days and with the Moslem name in a predominantly Christian world (mother is actually Catholic, not that it mattered much). I never knew that people would actively make life difficult for a minority in social and work/education.....I do now. In fact, it is only in the last few years, that the simplicity of my problems was brought into the light; I was too close to my problems.




I really did not want this to be my autobiography, just to let you know what shaped my personality. These organizations and their goals are really part and parcel of who I am and how I look at the world. I really do not relate to the immediate society I live in; and it shows. There is nothing in this organization that helps in any way, the society I live in, the resentment is still there. IAIJ is really meant for people in the third world who need third party validation. Fortress Of Freedom is really for those "disenfranchised" individuals who are labeled, stigmatized and who live on the periphery of society; watched by the police and not a part of the establishment. This is what I photograph and whose voice I protect in my little corner of the world.




I champion the cause and aspirations of those who did not get a fair break at success, I cheer on the under-dog! My goal is the United Nations and not Canada or my local society. It would appear that my love of Mankind is true, but not focused in my own backyard.

There are some pluses to being the kind of person I am, my problems sent me to philosophy, as I tried to figure things out. Later on in life I went on a journey associating with what most would call the "fringe element" of social outcasts and such, whom I found common ground. In turn, they showed me how society really works and the mechanisms of politics. I love politics but I know I will never be effective here because of who I am, so I moved my aspirations outside this "oppressive" atmosphere. Because I relate as an individual to the world at large, I always excelled at public speaking and the larger the group, the more relaxed and fun it gets. Ultimately, I would like to address the world at large, this does not frighten me.....this empowers me.




So in effect, I picked the right man for the job. I can think of nobody better qualified to undertake the task of these organizations. Does the job pick the man or vice versa.....I don't know but this arrangement works. The only thing that can stop this is money, so I will keep my eye on that for the time being. This story was a difficult one to post as the organization is becoming very formal now and this is about the last point where I can really relate to the viewership personally, it would get too political in the future. I decided to keep details out of this so it does not read or have the impact it originally had.....sorry, but politics of various kinds are already in play now..... But I wanted to set the record straight about why I am here and why I am so passionate about the issues we address of these organizations. I am doing this on my own and nobody is pulling my strings or telling me what to do. Understanding who I am makes what I do more understanding. In the end, it is the cause that matters; and like I said before, I am probably the best man for this job. Back to work.
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