Revolution

When Yun and I were in Prague we went to the Museum of Communisim. We learned all about how the Czechs finally organized to drive out the russians in 1989. A lot of what happened was the act of a single individual. A student named Jan Palach. He was so disillusioned by lack of freedom and opportunity in his country that in an act of defiance set him set on fire on Wenceslas Square. He died three days later. 800,000 people streamed into the streets to attend his funeral. No one really knew it at the tme but it was the beginning of the end for communism in eastern europe. It would take twenty more years, but his death would again be a catalist for the end of the russian occupation. A handful of college students wanted to mark the anniversary of his death with a vigil. The communists came and beat the students terribly. This time the Czech people took to the streets by the millions and they did not stop until they toppled the government and drove the russians out for good. My friend told me his mother was friends with Jan Palach. I asked her about him but she got too emotional to really talk about him. She said he always spoke about doing something dramatic to protest what was happeneing but she said at the time she just dismissed what he was saying. She was schocked like everyone else when he did it. You can read more about him at http://archiv.radio.cz/palach99/eng/palach.html

There is a great interview of me by the writer, Susan Henderson on her website. She is one of the best people i've met online. Check it out here. here