.It is truly amazing what one person can do to change the world.
I have almost finished reading Three Cups of Tea, and I think that every American today should read this book, which tells the story of Greg Mortensen's struggle to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
I find it fascinating (and disturbing), when I come across people who are under the impression that we need to obliterate the Middle East, because all people in the Middle East hate Americans, and we need to eradicate terrorists. Don't get me wrong, I am all about getting rid of terrorism and terrorists. But there is a vast difference between carpeting an entire region in bombs - killing innocent children, fathers, and mothers in order to get at a select group of individuals (especially when etremist groups, such as the Taliban, often are making life extremely difficult for the local civilians anyway) - and eradicating terrorism by digging out the root of the problem. Do we really think that we can fight our "War on Terror" by creating more terror? It hardly seems logical that we will gain the respect and admiration of the Middle East by killing innocent civilians, failing to provide adequate relief aid, creating poorly equiped refugee camps, etc. These things only cause more animosity towards Americans.
People ask why they hate Americans. The answer is: because they are taught to hate Americans by extremist Muslims in madrassas funded by wealthy Saudis. As these madrassas are often the only education that impoverished children in the rural areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan can get, male students (because madrassas do not educate women) grow up listening to the ravings their extremist teachers, who often have little to no education themselves. They get not a moderate education, with regular teaching of history, math, etc., but lessons in extremist Islam.
Greg Mortensen is combating this extremist upbringing that breeds terrorism by starting schools all over Pakistan and Afghanistan, specifically focusing on educating the women. If only we could take our cue from Mortensen, and concentrate on helping those in the Middle East, modernizing them, build schools and hospitals, instead of fostering an atmosphere of hate and distrust. And you know what? With all of the money that we are spending on the military, we could have opened many, many schools.
Only in this way will we win the war on terror. Can we please focus more on empowering women and educating children than dropping bombs and encouraging hate?
Ciao
30 April 2008
09 April 2008
birthday suit
....and at 3:02am 23 years ago today, I entered the world naked and covered in nasty goo. gross...
05 April 2008
..boston burning?..
I have decided that I have only seen one cat the entire time I've been in Boston. Is that strange? Maybe I'm used to Seattle, where the cats roam freely in herds down the sidewalks. Okay, that's an exaggeration. Obviously, cats are more solo creatures than dogs. But still, I usually can't walk outside in the summer without stumbling over some cat lazing about in the shade of a maple tree. So why is there only one cat in this city? Methinks that Jeff's mention of a YouTube video of a man chucking cats off a cliff may have something to do with it...
And how could I not start off with the most exciting event of the night? Who knows
Last night, I went out for drinks with Nick and Craig, from my Syracuse program in Firenze. We went to this fun little hole in the wall place; Tiger Lily? Or something. It was attached to a Malaysian food place, and they serve these massive chalices (chali? what is the plural of chalice?) of some sort of concoction of alcohol and juice. The flavors were: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black. And they were good. Anyway, so we were coming home, and our entire street, which is somewhat of a main thoroughfare, was blocked off by a police car and a fire truck. Which was odd. So I turned onto our street, and the entire street was LIT UP with flashing red lights. Mind you, this was around 1:30 am, so this was no small feat. There were literally 8 firetrucks outside my building, with one of them having its ladder extended up onto the roof. WTF mate?!? So, of course, I freaked out and thought Jeff was lying inside the apartment dead, and that all of our things had been burnt to a husk (ie my computer). I called Jeff, and he was like, hm, it smells like smoke.
Apparently, some idiot had left some kind of pan with plastic handles on in the oven, with the oven on. So, the firemen literally had to axe down their door. Who knows why they needed all those firetrucks, but whatever. Our apartment still smells all disgusting and smoky. Yuck. But at least we're both find and there was no damage. At least, not for us. The door of apartment 13 is a different story...
Cheers
And how could I not start off with the most exciting event of the night? Who knows
Last night, I went out for drinks with Nick and Craig, from my Syracuse program in Firenze. We went to this fun little hole in the wall place; Tiger Lily? Or something. It was attached to a Malaysian food place, and they serve these massive chalices (chali? what is the plural of chalice?) of some sort of concoction of alcohol and juice. The flavors were: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black. And they were good. Anyway, so we were coming home, and our entire street, which is somewhat of a main thoroughfare, was blocked off by a police car and a fire truck. Which was odd. So I turned onto our street, and the entire street was LIT UP with flashing red lights. Mind you, this was around 1:30 am, so this was no small feat. There were literally 8 firetrucks outside my building, with one of them having its ladder extended up onto the roof. WTF mate?!? So, of course, I freaked out and thought Jeff was lying inside the apartment dead, and that all of our things had been burnt to a husk (ie my computer). I called Jeff, and he was like, hm, it smells like smoke.
Apparently, some idiot had left some kind of pan with plastic handles on in the oven, with the oven on. So, the firemen literally had to axe down their door. Who knows why they needed all those firetrucks, but whatever. Our apartment still smells all disgusting and smoky. Yuck. But at least we're both find and there was no damage. At least, not for us. The door of apartment 13 is a different story...
Cheers
02 April 2008
.and the greatest of these is love.
...heretical rantings of the day...
Today, I was thinking about religion, and it astounds me to think how shocked some of my more conservative religious acquaintances/friends/family members, etc. would be at the state of my piety currently. I can see myself from their eyes, and what I look like from the outside is, well, the epitome of a heretical agnostic or even *gasp* an atheist. I have not been to mass since Christmas, I haven't read the Bible in who knows how long, etc. etc.
It's funny, though, because I find it hard to find God (or god, or Allah, or Gaia, or Zeus, or whatever, because, really, let's face it, they are all the same thing) sitting on an uncomfortable pew, or in the pages of a text that spouts genealogies and tries to warn me of the second coming. Don't get me wrong, there are many good stories in the Bible, and I love the psalms, and parables. I just find it hard to find God in a text that claims that women are the chattel of their husbands/fathers/brothers.
No, I find God in the purple crocuses I saw peeping up from the crusted New England soil. I find God in the splash of reds and oranges I saw in the Adirondacks this fall. I find God in my family. I find God in my friends. I find God in Claire. I find God in hugs and smiles and kisses. I find God in the still moments watching a movie on the couch with friends or family. I find God in snorkeling and seeing a massive sea turtle pass by. I find God in the worn pages of my books that I have read over and over. I find God in a song from a musical that gives me goosebumps. I find God in the smell of rain and snow. I find God in everything that I see, every day. Why would I need a specific religion to tell me where or how I should see God? And yes, I do find God in church, because I love the songs, and the community. And I do find God in the Bible, because I know that, in the end, "these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Cheers
Today, I was thinking about religion, and it astounds me to think how shocked some of my more conservative religious acquaintances/friends/family members, etc. would be at the state of my piety currently. I can see myself from their eyes, and what I look like from the outside is, well, the epitome of a heretical agnostic or even *gasp* an atheist. I have not been to mass since Christmas, I haven't read the Bible in who knows how long, etc. etc.
It's funny, though, because I find it hard to find God (or god, or Allah, or Gaia, or Zeus, or whatever, because, really, let's face it, they are all the same thing) sitting on an uncomfortable pew, or in the pages of a text that spouts genealogies and tries to warn me of the second coming. Don't get me wrong, there are many good stories in the Bible, and I love the psalms, and parables. I just find it hard to find God in a text that claims that women are the chattel of their husbands/fathers/brothers.
No, I find God in the purple crocuses I saw peeping up from the crusted New England soil. I find God in the splash of reds and oranges I saw in the Adirondacks this fall. I find God in my family. I find God in my friends. I find God in Claire. I find God in hugs and smiles and kisses. I find God in the still moments watching a movie on the couch with friends or family. I find God in snorkeling and seeing a massive sea turtle pass by. I find God in the worn pages of my books that I have read over and over. I find God in a song from a musical that gives me goosebumps. I find God in the smell of rain and snow. I find God in everything that I see, every day. Why would I need a specific religion to tell me where or how I should see God? And yes, I do find God in church, because I love the songs, and the community. And I do find God in the Bible, because I know that, in the end, "these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Cheers
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