Today is my birthday. Today is also the day Tunisia's supreme court has decided to uphold the convictions of more than 40 individuals.

I don't know any of these people or the facts of this case. You're probably thinking: if you know so little, then why even talk about it?

I'm not qualified to get to the bottom of what's happening, but I know one thing: anyone attempting to get to the bottom of anything with enough certainty and the will to change how the current system functions is going to be labeled a conspirator.

I'm ignorant of the facts, there's no denying that, but there's one thing that stood out to me while reading The Washington Post's article on this matter:

Lawyers representing the defendants had criticized the timing of the hearing, saying they were notified only three days before Thursday’s court hearing, arguing that the short notice was hasty and left them without time to prepare their defense.

If that's true. If the notice period was that short, no amount of proof can justify the way the court has handled the judicial process.

I'm not a lawyer, you'll have to excuse my ignorance again, but are we really to believe that three days is enough time for any lawyer (however competent they may be) to prepare a solid case for such an appeal? The answer is no.

Certainty

We're living in one of the most uncertain periods since the early 2000s. I can't speak for anything beyond that.

Neglect has made it so our electrical grid has taken a huge blow, running water has been all but reliable, there is almost always a shortage of some kind for basic goods. I can't help but see a parallel with Venezuela's economic crisis. It's disheartening what happened in Venezuela, poor governance can be as detrimental to society as war.

Change

I have never voted. That is one of my worst decisions. It spurs from my tendency to steer clear of politics. However, as they say, being apolitical is a privilege, and just as soon as the government's policies began to mess with my moral compass, my personal well-being and that of my family, my anger and disappointment could no longer be repressed.

That's why the thought of the next elections is so exciting to me, assuming we keep the election process by that time, that is.

I know who I'm not going to be voting for.

Freedom of expression is the only way forward. If we lose that, then we lose everything. This freedom is an irrevocable human right and we must not let those in power take that away from us.