Thursday, October 12, 2006
Writing the world a better place
A woman called Anna Politskovskaya died on 7 October. She had done more in her murderously foreshortened life than I imagine I'll achieve in my hopefully long one. She had the guts to keep going knowing that there were people who wanted her dead and quiet, people who eventually got their way. I had barely even heard of her until she was shot, so although those people fulfilled their first desire, they rather failed in their second.
She was a journalist who wrote in and about Russia, specifically human rights in Russia, and even more specifically, about human rights in Chechnya. I have heard many bad things said about journalists - that they are parasites, just after a story, hacks. For me, they have always been a profession I admire. And Anna Politskovskaya was exactly the reason why.
So here is to Anna.
She was a journalist who wrote in and about Russia, specifically human rights in Russia, and even more specifically, about human rights in Chechnya. I have heard many bad things said about journalists - that they are parasites, just after a story, hacks. For me, they have always been a profession I admire. And Anna Politskovskaya was exactly the reason why.
So here is to Anna.
