In a message dated 3/3/1999 4:57:53 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< If you seek social justice than I shall provide it for you irreversibly. >>
You will provide it for me? Does that come with a side order of fries?
If you can provide it, I can't quite see why you haven't done it yet. Are you
just waiting for me to say yes? Is this my wedding gift?
Defend what for what? I just told you directly, until the situation in that
region changes for the people of that region, no other part of that
environment will be safe.
You made some very general t-shirt slogans, and I suspect you really don't
have a clue about the history, culture or contemporary politics (beyond t-
shirt slogans) of that region. It is kind of easy to quickly go look it up a
bit, or glean from the comments in the recent tourist killing articles, but I
urge you to consider beyond that point.
There is also something interesting to learn about how the indigenous people
of this land had LONG lived with these and how in their culture they had a
great deal of respect for these animals. Respect that did not include caging
them or capturing them for study or roping off their habitat or disturbing
them at all. There is an interesting quality with many of the indigenous
cultures to show their appreciation and respect for animals by living as part
of the environmental system, and by in many cases leaving land, some animals
ALONE. They sing of them, tell tales of them, paint them, sculpt them, even
worship God in them. It is all too easy for those in the west to negate that
when they go on their flights of environmental fancy. What did the westerners
do to animals and people they encountered?
Instead of lecturing others on their environmental misdeeds, perhaps you all
should turn your efforts right back into what your people, your countries do
within their own borders and what your corporations do around the world. But
that isn't as easy and ego-fulfilling as demeaning, dictating to, lecturing,
overuling and claiming environmental superiority over the non-western, non
white people.
Where is this magic social justice bullet you will shoot into the air? If you
can, do it right now. End all social injustice right now.
It is very easy to write cute statements via email, sounding so cryptic and
wise, but there are real grassroots issues to be dealt with - and they don't
disappear in an instant. If they could have, they would have, if they could
have wished it or prayed it away they would have - for all your concern, I can
not imagine it to be any deeper, stronger, or more powerful than what they
felt.
I know of many people who lost loved ones, even most or all of their families
in the tragic massacres of this area. Would you like to tell them " If you
seek social justice than I shall provide it for you irreversibly. " Why not
bounce an orphaned, maimed child on your lap and whisper that in their ear to
get a smile? Tell people who have lost loved ones and land, years out of their
lives spent suffering and scraping about your powers of social change.
They will neither be amused by your skill with words nor awed by your deep
assessment of the situations the face.
Nicole
