Today is my birthday. Today is also the day Tunisia's supreme court has decided to uphold convictions of conspiracy 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 may run the risk of being 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, second only to the 2011 revolution. I can't speak for anything beyond that.

Neglect, at every level, has made it so our electrical grid is no longer sufficient, running water has been all but reliable and 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. We must not think that we are special, the greatest empires fall so it only follows that the weak fall too.

Those of us who speak, shedding light on the gravity of this dire situation we're all going through, are all that we have for getting out of it.

Freedom of expression is the only way forward. This freedom is an irrevocable human right. If your thoughts have the power to sway public opinion, then you must use the appropriate tools to protect yourself.

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