Vox Populi
Posted by Robin Hemley on May 11, 2009 12:09 AM
A lot going on today on several different fronts!
For me, the most exciting news is that Rep. Teodoro Locsin, Jr. of the Philippines has written a letter to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo asking that she repeal the illegal tax on imported books that I first wrote about on McSweeney's Internet Tendency, "The Great Book Blockade of 2009." Read his letter here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/15205858/Teodoro-L-Locsin-Jr-to-President-Gloria-MacapagalArroyo
While the battle isn't over yet, this action is so incredibly heartening to me. This is Vox Populi in action in a way I've never before experienced, and it's so gratifying that it's happening in the Philippines. So often, people in the Philippines are cynical about their voice in the affairs of their country, but this proves to me at least that the people of the Philippines have the will to change their country for the better. Foreigners too easily write off the Philippines as well, and I hope that this episode shows that the Filipino people should in no way be written off.
I'll be writing a follow up article on the situation for The Far Eastern Economic Review.
In other news, exciting to me, but in no way as important, about 65 people attended my beach reading at the Hermitage in Florida, and I sold a bunch of copies of Do-Over!
All in all, a very good day.
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