Iran

How strange to hear Iran pronounced correctly on the news. The whole topic of Iran is hard for me to discuss right now. I'm visiting my parents, and it's a constant topic of conversation and CNN is always on - surprising that they're covering primarily Iran! Perhaps we'll get credit for being something other than terrorists. Clearly, random thoughts come to mind first. The rest of my thoughts are mostly images: tear gas, Neda, protests I've seen here in Toronto and on t.v., and the Basiji.

I'm happy that the people are starting to go against the regime and are leaving the silly choice between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi behind them. What's the point of an election when the "supreme leader" says who gets to run? The greatest question is what does all this mean? What does the future hold?

The hardest emotion for me to deal with is the guilt. I hope to benefit from this struggle - to travel to a free Iran, to take my son and discover with him the glory of the Persians, to take my mom to her birth country (as she'll only go when the regime changes), and to finally see what much of my life has revolved around. From a comfortable chair and with many freedoms, I watch our people fight and I wish them great success. All I can do is help spread their message, keep them in my thoughts, and partake in protests over here. I struggle with my acknowledgment that I don't plan on boarding a plane and joining the fight. I am weak and selfish, I suppose.

Good luck. You deserve much more than what you have. I hope your suffering ends soon and that this horrific regime will be held accountable for their actions.