There is a demonstration by supporters of the Tamil Tigers of NorthEast Sri Lanka at the Toronto midtown corner of Bloor and Yonge Streets. It is notable because this is a continuing series of ever more heated protests so the police and TV media are out to “cover” the protest each in its own ways. I am interested because of the number of victims cited in the above protest sign – 5,00,000 ??? I decided I wanted to see how quickly I could get useful and “non-inflamed” information about the “number” and the situation.
Sincen I was next to the TorontoMuncipal Library – I went there and got on one of the more than 300 free web connected terminals. I did not go to any of the TV stations covering the story – neeedless to say they would not have any links to useful information. Instead I tried the Toronto Star and the GlobeandMail first. The GlobeandMail had the background story but it is Toronto bound. The Toronto Star went well beyond the immediate protest articles and filled in the blanks on the broader Sri Lanka picture very well here. But the best resources were- Surprise Surprise -Google and wikipedia. Google led me to the superb novel by Canadian/Sri Lankan author Michael Ondaatje which tells the story in “captivating” style in Anil’s Ghost. As one finds in the novel, this civil war is very nasty and very brutish on all sides.
So what did we learn about getting quick and cogent info on this flashpoint. TV coverage was lowest on the totem pole, the newspapers of mixed but better value, but Google and Wikipedia the best and quickest.
It is funny how people tends toresearch about the “number” more than the actual situation,it doesnt matter howmany people are dying or even going through poverty. The main issue is to meet our needs, which is to attain peace. This war has been on going,yet no movement towards the government or anything, this shows how sellfish and brutal governments are. Tamil tigers, another name, to geteverything cleared out Tamil Tigers is not atitle of terrorist yet an army who is saving tamils back home. Another thought that i may add is the media, media protrays in what the viewers want to hear or what makes it more interesting by adding false information as well as the media cannot be a reliable source. For an example take the weather, people ould atch the news to see the weather yet the weather that the news media post is notaccurate, tehy would say its sunny, yet it was raining. You cannot predict what will happen the next day, you must live your life as day by day. Google may be the best source to research information, but it is not a tool to use to make accurate statements as well as for wikipedia, wikipedia is not reliable anyone can goon and edit the information that had been provided, wikipedia is a great tool when researching, many studies have shown that.
Overall, the protest must be heard,since that is my motherland. Iam from Canada originally, and i feel that my second country needs Canada’s guidance and assistance, and governments need to stop being greedy and brutal and must step up. It is not the 60s where men had a voice and women were not considred as people, it is 2009 we must change the way people counteract with each other. Teamwork is the key factor for all of this, yet i may seem like a biast just because i am talking about one perspetive yet that is truth and yet that is what exposes all the time.