I just can't stand it any more. The violence. The hate. The hypocrisy. The good people (like me) standing by and doing nothing but crying, lamenting, raging. South Carolina is the last straw. I have to do SOMETHING. Something more substantial, something more significant. I have a black nephew living in a red state and I'm terrified something bad will happen to him some day just because of the color of his skin and because he has the misfortune of living in a country that has become so consumed with hatred and acceptance of violence.
Honestly, it is hard to even put into words the frustration I feel. The pain. The rage. The sadness. The incredulity. The fear. The disgust. The shame. I feel like I'm going to go crazy if I can't do SOMETHING MORE.
I LOVE working for the Peace Corps. I love having a job that helps idealistic Americans get out into the world and try to make a difference. As "backward" and depressing as Lesotho is, I still often find myself feeling really happy here just coz I love my job and I love being around people who are doing for others. And once my gig ends here in another year +, I was hoping to take another PC gig in another country. But it's not enough anymore.
As fucked up as America is, it is my home. I LOVE America, I love the idea of how it started and what it stood for, warts and all. And, again, it's my home. I need to come home and do something to stop the sickness and the hate and the killing and the violence. I need to protect my nephew and others who are losing their lives just because ignorant racists think it's okay to kill someone of a different color.
Maybe it will take awhile, but I'm starting today to look for an organization that's doing SOMETHING to fight racism and/or violence and/or hate. It might take awhile, and I'll be honest and say I'm still enough of a realist/selfish enough to know I'm going to have to find something in a place where I can also be happy living. So I'm putting the word out to all my friends and acquaintances, to network network network and help me. I NEED to find a job with a solid organization doing good work in the areas mentioned above in any of the following cities: San Francisco, DC, L.A., New York, or Portland
It's not enough anymore to share Jon Stewart clips; to sign petitions; to rage and cry with my friends; to slam those ignorant, racist hate-filled savages; those demagogic, hypocritical, vile FOX hosts and politicians. I need to do more.
And once I'm back in the states, I am begging any and all of my friends to harangue me into doing anything else of substance you may be doing on your own: march, protest, start a movement, volunteer my non-working hours to groups that may be doing good work but can't afford to support me with a salary, etc.
And, finally, I call on anyone and everyone I know to also step up in whatever way you can. To take your own rage and frustration and sadness over these endless, horrific events and make a change, do something different, stand up for your beliefs, WALK YOUR TALK.
It may take me awhile to find a good fit, but I won't give up until I do. Because, esp. now, all I can think of is MLK's quote: "History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."
6/19/15
6/16/15
Postcard from Lesotho III
So one of the "perks" of being Acting Country Director--which I was again last week--is attendance at the weekly Country Team meeting at the Embassy. The Ambassador sits with the heads of each Agency (Peace Corps, USAID, CDC, DoD, etc.) for updates, sharing, etc. I put "perks" in quotes coz I find it boring and always "negotiate" with our Country Director for her time off and when she wants to make me Acting CD based on having to go to these meetings. This week, I happened to get there a little early, along with the Security Chief, the Chief Political Officer, and the guy from USAID and I was punished even further by having to listen to them all prattle on about beer. BEER! They were talking about it as if it were like WINE, and having tastings and and and....BEER. I mean, honestly, it all looks, smells, and tastes like piss. I don't get it.
Speaking of the Embassy, several weeks ago I had my first "Top Secret Briefing." Of course I can't say what it's about, except that it was recently in the news - and we knew about it first. Ooooooh! But seriously, we all actually went into this "secret" sealed bunker in the Embassy compound that was scarier than the briefing itself. I would NOT want to be trapped in that room. Esp. with those people. The briefing was SO over the top, like something out of a movie, and I was torn between thinking, "This is really cool" and "This is really lame." Ha!
In other news, I kept wondering why my house would get so hot during the day on the living room side, which faces north. "It's a northern exposure, dammitt, not a southern one! What the hell......oh yeah, I'm in the southern hemisphere! Duh! Carry on!" In other Southern Hemisphere news, I found out it's a myth about the water in your toilet flushing in the opposite direction--dang, that's the whole reason I took this job/moved down here: to see that!
Scandal with the King! One of the fun things about walking to work is seeing the weekly posters the local papers put up with the latest headlines to try and get folks to buy their paper. A couple of weeks ago there was one that gasped (well, figuratively): "The King Drinks SA Water" Of course, SA refers to South Africa. I loved this for two reasons: One, was just the way it was worded - sounded like a taunt/slur you'd hear on the playground. "Oh yeah? Well, your mom drinks SA water!" Snap! The other reason I like it is for the irony: RSA gets a good chunk of their water from...you guessed it...Lesotho. So the King of Lesotho was drinking SA water at an event - water that they probably imported from Lesotho. Quel scandale!
I've decided that scientists need to spend more time identifying and tweaking/wiping out the "selfish asshole" gene - seriously, think what a boon to humanity this would be. While I've always been appalled and annoyed by selfish assholes, it seems that as I get older I have even less patience for them. Those people who cut in line wherever, that get in the short "10 items or less" line with a boatload of stuff, thieves, the loud cell phone bleaters in the movie theater, etc. Lord knows there are huge swaths of China and America where they could find candidates to test this research on. Get with it, science! Hmmm, come to think of it, maybe global warming and the upcoming devastation of the earth/complete annihilation of the human race is nature's way of addressing this issue.
But wait! This just in!
http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-created-a-drug-that-makes-people-more-compassionate
Huzzah!
Speaking of China, I am - bit by bit - doing better at controlling my previous gut-level, automatic disdainful sneering whenever I encounter someone here from Mainland China (again, for those who missed my earlier rants on this subject, it's not the Chinese that are so horrible on a macro level, it's the MAINLAND Chinese - as validated by other Chinese throughout the world). I actually had come close to stopping that completely, but then I invariably have to fly somewhere and there are always a few mainlanders heading home, and I end up having to deal with their astonishingly boorish behavior once again. Sigh.
Speaking of again, the other day I saw something that should put fear in the heart of anyone, pedestrian or motorist, on the streets of Maseru: a Basotho man teaching a Chinese woman how to drive. Of course, a Basotho teaching ANYONE to drive is scary enough.
Seriously, I continue to be astonished beyond belief at the way they drive here. It's particularly disgusting when everyone knows/sees every day the number of accidents and deaths. I mean, I've always been a fast driver, but the speed at which they drive here: downtown, on residential streets, etc. is just ludicrous and ridiculous. The blatant red light running. It's amazing. Since I've been here, at least 4 Americans have been involved in serious accidents, with 3 of them having been severely injured. And the locals, too. It's hard NOT to be judgmental of their continuing, ridiculously stupid and life-threatening behavior in this area.
And yes, after 10 months at post, I am STILL annoyed by the stupid, incessant honking of the 4+1s. "Oh YES, thank GAWD, you honked at me 8 times, Mr. Taxi Driver! I had no idea that I needed a taxi and that your clearly marked taxi was, indeed, a taxi!"
Speaking of the Embassy, several weeks ago I had my first "Top Secret Briefing." Of course I can't say what it's about, except that it was recently in the news - and we knew about it first. Ooooooh! But seriously, we all actually went into this "secret" sealed bunker in the Embassy compound that was scarier than the briefing itself. I would NOT want to be trapped in that room. Esp. with those people. The briefing was SO over the top, like something out of a movie, and I was torn between thinking, "This is really cool" and "This is really lame." Ha!
In other news, I kept wondering why my house would get so hot during the day on the living room side, which faces north. "It's a northern exposure, dammitt, not a southern one! What the hell......oh yeah, I'm in the southern hemisphere! Duh! Carry on!" In other Southern Hemisphere news, I found out it's a myth about the water in your toilet flushing in the opposite direction--dang, that's the whole reason I took this job/moved down here: to see that!
Scandal with the King! One of the fun things about walking to work is seeing the weekly posters the local papers put up with the latest headlines to try and get folks to buy their paper. A couple of weeks ago there was one that gasped (well, figuratively): "The King Drinks SA Water" Of course, SA refers to South Africa. I loved this for two reasons: One, was just the way it was worded - sounded like a taunt/slur you'd hear on the playground. "Oh yeah? Well, your mom drinks SA water!" Snap! The other reason I like it is for the irony: RSA gets a good chunk of their water from...you guessed it...Lesotho. So the King of Lesotho was drinking SA water at an event - water that they probably imported from Lesotho. Quel scandale!
I've decided that scientists need to spend more time identifying and tweaking/wiping out the "selfish asshole" gene - seriously, think what a boon to humanity this would be. While I've always been appalled and annoyed by selfish assholes, it seems that as I get older I have even less patience for them. Those people who cut in line wherever, that get in the short "10 items or less" line with a boatload of stuff, thieves, the loud cell phone bleaters in the movie theater, etc. Lord knows there are huge swaths of China and America where they could find candidates to test this research on. Get with it, science! Hmmm, come to think of it, maybe global warming and the upcoming devastation of the earth/complete annihilation of the human race is nature's way of addressing this issue.
But wait! This just in!
http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-created-a-drug-that-makes-people-more-compassionate
Huzzah!
Speaking of China, I am - bit by bit - doing better at controlling my previous gut-level, automatic disdainful sneering whenever I encounter someone here from Mainland China (again, for those who missed my earlier rants on this subject, it's not the Chinese that are so horrible on a macro level, it's the MAINLAND Chinese - as validated by other Chinese throughout the world). I actually had come close to stopping that completely, but then I invariably have to fly somewhere and there are always a few mainlanders heading home, and I end up having to deal with their astonishingly boorish behavior once again. Sigh.
Speaking of again, the other day I saw something that should put fear in the heart of anyone, pedestrian or motorist, on the streets of Maseru: a Basotho man teaching a Chinese woman how to drive. Of course, a Basotho teaching ANYONE to drive is scary enough.
Seriously, I continue to be astonished beyond belief at the way they drive here. It's particularly disgusting when everyone knows/sees every day the number of accidents and deaths. I mean, I've always been a fast driver, but the speed at which they drive here: downtown, on residential streets, etc. is just ludicrous and ridiculous. The blatant red light running. It's amazing. Since I've been here, at least 4 Americans have been involved in serious accidents, with 3 of them having been severely injured. And the locals, too. It's hard NOT to be judgmental of their continuing, ridiculously stupid and life-threatening behavior in this area.
And yes, after 10 months at post, I am STILL annoyed by the stupid, incessant honking of the 4+1s. "Oh YES, thank GAWD, you honked at me 8 times, Mr. Taxi Driver! I had no idea that I needed a taxi and that your clearly marked taxi was, indeed, a taxi!"
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