I've been rereading my posts to you and Raven Rose, and I will offer a tentative apology. Perhaps the subject is a bit to sensitive.
I have done field work in Ecuador and Peru, and have friends who have done field studies in Guatamala and Brazil (I have a degree in Anthropology and worked on a Masters). If you have ever seen the apprehension in these peoples eyes when they see an American, you may understand my hesitance to accept your motives and the sincerity of your compassion. Im sure you have never spoken to a man who does not want his children to speak to Americans. Parents who do not want American Peace Corps to instill false hopes and dreams of literacy into their children, only to have them return to the stark and modest realities of living in the Andes after the dreamers have left. I am sure you have never seen the look of terror in a villagers eyes upon seeing an American, fearing that they are bringing more "progress" for the local rebels to "rebuke" them for. Have you ever seen a child so terrified of a bottle of penicilin that they run, in fear of what happened when rebels found bottles of medicine in the village after Americans and Europeans have left? Have you ever lived amongst the Yanomamo, who only so very recently were the cause celeb, and now suffer the spite of loggers and ranchers, now that the cameras have left and no one remembers? These are direct memories of things I have seen, and my friends have seen. What about the thousands of other "flavors of the day" that arent? What ever happened to the great humanitarian outpouring to the Kurds after the Gulf War? Do you think those people are any less needy? What about Ethiopia, where the tons of "humanitarian" relief and supplies actually hurt the situation by overloading the distribution system, and inevitably feeding the very warring parties that were responsible for the mess? Unfortunately Rose, many many times the misguided "compassion" of Americans actually hurts more than it helps. I will post no more on this subject. |
