One Brick Short

From the folks who brought you the Tibetan flag flying above city hall comes a candlelight vigil in honor and support of the people whose government they say is oppressing them.

In a rare display of human brotherhood and concern not often found in activist groups—imagine the Sierra Club and National Off-Road Recreational Vehicle Owners Association memberships cooperating on anything other than mutual annihilation—Charlottesville’s Tibetan association is holding a vigil downtown in memory of the thousands of Chinese who are dead and millions left homeless by a recent earthquake and recurring aftershocks.

The vigil comes even though members of the Chinese government and military have cracked down on freedom of expression, information in the Tibetan Autonomous Area.

“Among the Tibetan community there has been an outpouring of sympathy and support for the victims of the recent earthquake in China,“ said Tseyang, President of the Tibetan Association of Charlottesville in a prepared statement. “Today we will offer prayers alongside the Chinese community of Charlottesville to pay homage to the victims and raise money for the survivors.”

Tseyang noted that, while the organization is concerned about the situation in China, it doesn’t change their stand on the politics of Sino-Tibetan relations.

“We pray for the sufferings of the Chinese people but our political and human rights issues with the Chinese authorities and policies remain unchanged until they are resolved,” she said.

Maybe there’s hope for our species, afterall.

Nah, wishful thinking.