A young egyptian student was jailed for blogging. Expressing his opinions something people in many countries take for granted. Including me. The lesson here is that Kareem Amer believes that his right to share his voice and opinion is worth more than not having the ability to share his voice. Many of us who blog, or produce multimedia content need to think carefully how we use this technology. But more importantly we need to realize we are apart of a growing international community that finds hope in tools we take advantage of everyday along with our freedoms.

In a cramped jail cell in Alexandria, Egypt, sits a soft-spoken 22- year-old student. Kareem Amer was sent to prison for over a month for allegedly “defaming the president of Egypt” and “highlighting inappropriate aspects that harm the reputation of Egypt.” Where did Amer commit these supposed felonies? On his weblog.

In 2007 we should find new ways to support bloggers like Kareem Amer. Those who are being imprisoned for simply sharing their opinions that we can share freely.