The previous post was somehow posted twice, both times without my consent. It was unfinished both times, and my apologies to those of you who received a crappy post not only once, but twice! Technical difficulties are, well, difficult.
In the meantime, I had one very angry person confront me about racist attitudes and my opinion that "white colonials were the best thing ever." It made me sick. One of the worst things a person can call me is racist. I just want to clarify that if you took anything I said to be coming from prejudiced ignorance, you have misinterpreted me.
Terribly.
Horribly.
TRAGIC is my point. TRAGIC that better services are not accessible. You have missed the whole point if you think I'm sitting here in judgement against a race or a country. (Because I love this country- so many great things about living here.) And I am CERTAINLY not saying kudos to white colonialism. I have no skill set to make judgements on that, or most other social issues. The whole point is SYMPATHY and fascination with trying to wrap my head around present circumstances, where they come from, and how they have evolved. Every day is observing. Every day is a learning experience.
I live every day somewhere between anger and guilt. I recognize my privilege and have to deal with it everyday.
Every day.
Race relations and economic relations are dealt with in very different linguistics than they are where I am from. They are hard topics to discuss without someone's feathers getting ruffled. But they are important issues, and are central to much of our experience in a place where we are entering with different perspectives because of our unique backgrounds. I try to keep things factual and based on the observations I've made, but as I've said before, my human experience is very limited to one place on a very large continent. You may not always agree with me, but know that my intentions are never, ever, to slight any set of people or this amazing continent we are on.
Thanks for sticking with me, despite the tech issues.
