Friday, January 25, 2008

The World, the War and the Wall

It is so easy and so desirable to stay safe behind the wall of America. Think about it: we live in a country were we have news channels, but they mostly report with celebutante is in rehab this week. We live in a country where women bawl and wail and gnash their teeth if their wedding cake is the wrong flavor (on national television). We live in a world where basically anyone can wear anything at anytime, and where teens complain about wearing uniforms for a few hours in school.
It is as if we know nothing of the rest of the world.
There are countries where women are beaten to death in front of crowds because their hair was showing out of their veil (this makes them a whore in the eyes of the punishers).
There are countries where women bawl and wail and gnash their teeth because they have just seen their husbands, sons, brothers and fathers shot like dogs in the street.
There are countries where women are kept in rape camps, camps that function only to imprison women so that soldiers can get their rocks off whenever they please.

I find it so easy to be ignorant to those other worlds. That is what they are, complete other worlds. They are practically other planets when you consider our country.
I hate that I am blissfully ignorant, but I am scared to allow it to be real. When I truly observe and absorb the pain and suffering and reality of these womens' lives I cannot even breathe.

If only more of us could be as brave and talented as Eve Ensler. We need Vagina Warriors in every city and in every country, fighting to keep women safe. How is it that we abandon our sisters? Can't we see we are abandoning ourselves?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for writing this.