Freedom, democracy, equality, human rights

With all the uprisings in the Middle East, these modern day revolutions of the people seeking to overthrow their long-time dictators and presidents, I must give gratitude for the freedom that I have enjoyed all my life.  I'm am grateful that I was born and raised in NZ where I graduated from school and university in an open-for-all, government subsidised, and compulsory education system.  I'm grateful that when I turned 18, I became eligible to vote for the government of my choice - and every 3 years I get to exercise that right.  I'm grateful that as a woman, I went to school, university, and am able to work.  I'm grateful that I can live my life without fear of persecution. I'm so grateful that I have the choice to go to church, and I get to choose the church I go to; be educated; express my feelings about various NZ governments and leaders; listen/read/watch the news from the source I choose; be educated and choose the courses that interest me most; drive a car; wear the clothes I want; read the books I want; and so forth.  I'm so grateful that I was raised with these liberties and I honour those that also seek those same rights that we in the West take too often for granted.