Writing for Rights During a Postal Strike

                                                           Christ of Marynoll Icon --Br Robert Lentz

I believe that Canada Post workers have the right to good-faith collective bargaining and the right to work stoppages, if necessary. Still, this strike has been really tough on retailers and those who live in rural and remote communities. It has also had a huge effect on charities which rely on the year-end cheques from supporters.

I was struck yesterday by another organization affected by the strike. Amnesty International invites supporters to write letters on behalf of political prisoners around the world and they continue to get people to put pen to paper because hand-written physical pleas for clemency have a greater effect that emails. Yesterday was International Human Rights Day and there was a "Write for Rights" event at Belleville Public Library and although we were out of town there have been a number of years when we have participated, including when the letter writing took place when I was serving the Bridge St. UC congregation. It's good that these events still took place across the country but what happens to those letters with a postal strike lingering on? 

When the infamous Sednaya prison in Syria was opened by rebel liberators this past weekend thousands of poltical prisoners were set free and throngs of citizens rushed to the doors to find out whether their loved ones were still alive. I read an interview with one man who was scheduled to be executed on Sunday morning and when men arrived at his cell door he assumed it was the death squad. Instead he was told that he was free to leave. Some of those who stumbled forth from Sednaya were children from families incarcerated together. 

We need to remember that this is the reality for hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions around the world. We continue to hear that in China Uyghurs Muslims are held in prison campts and often forced into labour producing goods sold in other countries. Canada has joined the United States and Great Britain in imposing sanctions on China and the regime is not happy 

Again this Sunday we'll hear the prophetic voice of John the Baptist, aware that he was imprisoned and executed for speaking truth to power. We know that the baby Jesus adored at this time of year became the man hated by those in authority and crucified for his message. 

As the followers of Christ, how could we not care about human rights in these days and all through the year? We can hope that the Amnesty letters written will soon be sent to those who can make a difference. 

                                                                 Scene from Sednaya Prison