Thursday, December 11, 2003
There's Work to Do
Growing up with an interest in anthropology, history and religion I became acutely aware of how much where and what you are born to affects identity. For example, I am Irish Catholic, born in the United States. If I were born elsewhere my religion, my education, my family, my freedoms would be different. Everyone is born into a context and, I believe, should take themselves out of context.
It’s important to recognize because I believe something only has real value, rather, value can only be recognized, when it is the result of choice. When one value is chosen over another. To evaluate and embrace beliefs instead of passively muttering poems. To stretch freedom, rights, and to test them rather than acting like it’s gauche to make waves. To look critically at the world and see where you can effect it for the better. To make noise and show ugly pictures and aim for progress.
Attitudes, opportunities, religion, education and quality of life are tangible results of something as retroactively incontrollable as a the place you were born and the people you were born to. It flies in the face of self-determination and free will. Even these words are luxurious cultural concepts that don’t exist everywhere.
We owe it to ourselves and to each child born into this world (note: i’m very much for birth control and secular sex education) to figure out how to feed them before their tender brains decay, and to teach them to think and reach their potential, here and everywhere. It’s no accident that humans are the least finished creatures at birth. We become more complete humans when we help other humans become more complete.
Every last thing we are is learned, limited only by what we are exposed to and the opportunities we are given.
UNICEF report 65 million girls kept from school
NG News, Afghan Girls’ Fund update
NG News, honor killings
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