I just had the most disturbing conversation with a friend this weekend. I was telling my friend about a political writer who had just written an excellent article on female genital mutilation and my friend interupted me to ask what that was.
Whha, wha, wha, what?
This is a college educated woman with a post graduate degree and no freakin’ clue that 100 to 140 million women have had their business destroyed by this barbaric practice, that young girls are constantly dying from it, and that another 2 million young girls under the age of 12 are at risk for it as well. How the hell can she not know this stuff?
Simple. She doesn’t listen to the news anymore. Too depressing.
Apparently this came about 5 years ago. She found the world news was really stressing her out. So…she turned it off. No radio, tv, internet, or newspapers. She’s done. And she honestly believes she’s happier for it. She recommends it to her friends.
I mean, really, people, WTF??
Sure, I turn off the news every once in a while, like when I’m on vacation, but to turn it off entirely? There’s elections coming up, how do you make an informed decision? And just because the problems of the world freak you out, ignoring them doesn’t make it all go away either. How do you turn it all off and remain a citizen of the world?
Her answer: She’s not trying to live in the world, just live in her own.
I refuse to accept this as an acceptable way of life. This is a woman who just returned a large number of her children’s toys made in China because they are tainted with lead. Her husband was laid off for six months because his accounting job was sent to India. Further, she’s Jewish with a sister living in Israel. You can’t ignore the rest of the world, it’s pretty much in your freakin’ face 24/7. I get freaked out and pissed off about world events on pretty much a daily basis, but at least I try to channel that rage by living a certain way, voting a certain way, and using my consumer dollars a certain way.
Whether you or I like it or not, we are living in the Global Village. And as such, acting like the creepy weird guy in the house on the corner, who never comes out, who doesn’t mow his lawn, collect his mail, has a million cats running all over the place, and who calls the cops anytime someone stands out front commenting on what an ugly house that is, doesn’t make for a good neighbor.
It makes you a creepy, weird guy living in a scary, crappy house.
8 comments
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November 5, 2007 at 7:22 pm
andrea_frets
amen. I’ve heard that statement a lot too. And I don’t get it either. Yes, much of the news is terrifying but still, you need to know in order to make a change. To make an informed decision.
Not to criticize, but she doesn’t know about FGM? I did a huge research project about it in grad school eleven years ago so from what you’ve said, she had to have been watching/reading/listening to the news then. Hmm…
November 5, 2007 at 7:53 pm
inmate1972
Willfully ignorant? Selective memory? I dunno. I’m still freaked out that a friend of mine would live like this.
November 6, 2007 at 12:04 am
bookstoysgames
My guess is a whole lot of people don’t know much about FGM. Newspapers generally do not report about it, and most people can’t imagine that anyone would do such a surgery on their daughter.
If we did, tolerance for Islam would be much lower.
I do agree with you that we should know about this subject. In fact, I think it would be a good idea if some political leader introduced legislation banning the practice.
November 6, 2007 at 12:40 pm
inmate1972
I ran a news article search and came up with over a thousand entries in the last five years. People must be only reading the sports page.
The US banned the practice in 1995.
Traditionaly, FGM pre-dates Islam. It was practiced tribally long before Muhhamad hit the scene. The problem with trying to combat it is that your fighting a deeply ingrained cultural “value”.
It would certainly help if Islam came out against it though.
November 6, 2007 at 2:16 pm
what a great point … « The mind-notes of a MoodyMuse
[…] 6th, 2007 by moodymuse This post says it as well as I […]
November 6, 2007 at 2:35 pm
soultide
I believe the saying that advises moderation in everything. No news at all cuts a person off from the world but too much can make you anxious. I think if you’re friend lived a bit more of a balanced life where this issue is concerned then it wouldn’t be so bad.
November 6, 2007 at 2:45 pm
inmate1972
I completely agree with you. I have the tendency to be a news junkie and that in itself is not always a good thing. But I’m getting better at forcing myself to turn it off, walk away and not internalize every little “injustice”.
November 8, 2007 at 2:43 am
moodymuse
Bravo!
I linked this entry to mine with further commentary, because I couldnt have said it better.