Interesting Day
I spent today interpreting at the Elm Street clinic. Most of the people I help are Mayans. A few of them don't even speak much Spanish- they speak Mam. Anyway, I help a lot of moms and babies. I get to see lots of babies-the best part. And I wear a lot of hats in my job.
Anyway, todoay there was another woman there (American) in the OBGYN area. Later on I saw the woman sobbing with a counselor- I figured they'd found cancer, or some other wicked disease. Later I told her, "I don't know what has happened to you, but I hope you get better. I hope you're OK." She sobbed and said, "No, I'm not. I just found out I'm pregnant!" WOW she looked much too old- she said she was 47 years old! I said, "Congratulations! Hey, this is a GOOD surprise!" And she sort of sat there crying and laughing all at once. The bad thing was one of her grown daughters who was there with her who raled and screamed and cursed at her mother for getting pregnant at 47, that she had no business being pregnant, she was going to kill her mother's boyfriend, etc. and on and on and on. There was no stopping her! I wanted to butt in and yell at her, but my professional courtesy didn't let me. But I did talk to the calmer daughter, and to this lady, and said the baby will be a blessing, and given time the upset daughter will calm down. She certainly has issues. The calm daughter said her 27-year-old brother was tickled by the news. This baby will have several older nieces and nephews, too. The nurses at the clinic were like, Hey, this is a great thing! We'll monitor it carefully...but boom...a surprise! Caboose! How fun! So I'm praying for that baby and for that family.
In other news, yes I DID see the video of the beheading. I did watch it. It was sick. Just like people seeing the revolting photos of Emmett Till, which was the catalyst for the civil rights movement in the US. In both cases, we HAVE to be offended and sickened. We have no right NOT to be. And partial birth abortion? Does anyone realize what really happens? I HAVE NO RIGHT NOT TO BE SHOCKED AND REVOLTED. I HAVE NO RIGHT TO INSULATE MYSELF IN MY OWN COMFORT ZONE. IT SHOULD BOTHER ME. IT SHOULD BOTHER EVERYONE. WHAT right do I have to cry about my right to be unoffended? Do I have a right NOT to agonize over these things? I have NO SUCH RIGHT. IT IS TOO SICK TO VIEW. THAT IS PRECISELY WHY EVERYONE MUST.
My husband returned from Iraq 2 months ago. Unfortunately this is the peril they face. Nick Berg was only there doing tower/transmitter work trying to make a positive difference...I heard he'd been in Ghana doing this type of thing and came home thin and emaciated because he'd given all his food away. This is the type of person they want to behead? How is THAT helping their "cause"?
posted by Ann @ 5:09 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Thanks- comments always welcome- you do have a point. By no means am I excusing anything done to the Iraqi prisoners. It was more of a comment on the inhumanity to man, and it seems to happen across cultures. Some of the reactionary Islamic fundamentalism, and blind dedication to one imam, can really foment this type of thing. Not saying it can't happen here or anywhere else.
I can actually stand to watch things like this but it really bothers me pschologically when I see things like this happen to children. That's just my particular makeup. I think one of the points I am trying to make is that some people, by not looking at things, can live in denial that it exists. People are very good at living in denial. It takes courage but looking at things the way they really are, the out front blunt sick truth, as in the case of Emmett Till, can compel people, at times, to gain a collective consciousness of reality and change. It took a lot of denial for millions of Germans to convince themselves that millions of Jews and others were dying in ovens. It takes a lot of denial for Americans and the world not to notice the carnage of abortion. It takes a lot of denial for the Muslim world to think what happened to Nick Berg was justified.
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