Freedom of Speech Flash Drive!

I was driving my son (and dog Lily…she never misses a chance to jump in the back seat!) to school this morning when I heard a story on NPR about a Cuban-based writer, Yoani Sanchez. Time magazine voted Yoani digital journalist of the year for her blog, titled Generation Y, and ranked her as one of the Top 100 most influential people in the world today. Well that’s all the good news!

The not so good news is Cuba blocked Yoani from receiving her kudos to be officially awarded in Spain. In fact, that’s not all the interference the Cuban government is exercising. While the internet may seem like a the purest vehicle for freedom of speech, Cuba actually blocks the internet from the general population. Less than 2 percent of folks even have access. And lately, Yoani herself is claiming that she’s having issues even accessing her blog. Thus, obviously making it challenging to say the least to post new articles. All because a visionary, spirited, soulful young woman wants to find a way to get folks to reconnect with each other as individuals and citizens…to stop living in fear to the point they are losing their identity and self-expression.

Fortunately, there’s a tiny little bit o’ technology that’s helping keep the torch alive! Enter the good ol’ flash drive!! Yeppers. It’s serving as a powerful vehicle to allow Yaoni to voice her opinion and get that opinion shared with as many a flash drive away from “passing it on”. I say “Brilliant!!”. I’m guessing the Cuban powers that be have thus since put me on their “list” for supporting such brilliance. Oh well! Would they really expect anything less from a guy that’s done nothing but eat, sleep and breathe flash drives for the past few years?

So I say “Go Yoani!”. To the point that I’m gonna do my best to sneak a custom flash drive over to Cuba…labeled something really discrete of course like “Long Live Yaoni!” or “Drive on Yaoni!!”. And yes I’ll preload it with not only ALL of Yoani’s writings to date, but also all the best literature on Democracy!!