Solvent
Pretty please refer back to my Disclaimer, because I think this one can be entertaining, if you let it. My BFF of Peace Corps Uganda and currently second only to Jeremy, stated he wished someone would write a piece on the redundancy of “Oh it’s part of their culture” as an excuse. Here’s an attempt. The phrase is a whitewash, cure all, killing curiosity, intrigue, and debate on the rationale for dirt floors, not keeping time, corruption, never ending tea times, sub-servitude of women, bride price, whipping children, massive families without the resources to feed them, polygamy, continued use of witch doctors, and vigilant homophobia. Once, “Oh it’s part of their/our culture” is used everything halts, as the “C word” echoes down your side canals. It’s a dirty, nasty move to slide the line diplomatically in the dialogue. To continue with your argument you have to either find a way to evade the issue, utilizing sentences with words like “respect” and “understanding.” Or, or you say the hell with it and push through placing culture on the antagonist’s field and risk showing your Anglo-Saxon, elitist, xenophobic tendencies. Now, I’ve quickly grown tired of option A and have embraced my Western, ethnocentric, superiority (sarcasm) plunging my liberal, hippie head first into the mire. One more “cultural policy” is the acceptance of beating your wife or wives. Some women go so far as to feel their husbands don’t love them, if they don’t beat them regularly. The lesser known Love Side of domestic violence. European and American governments have a horrendous ethics record when dealing with Africa. France stubbornly held on to Algeria, seeding violence for years. Belgium used the Congo as a playground. Britain and yes, America propped up a list of ruthless dictators. All of them dragged their feet in Rwanda. In total, Western institutions killed or exploited 1,000s of natives, spilling into the millions. The one redeeming bit of the West is the citizenry. Since the 80s guilt ridden warm glow jonesing do-gooders have been trying to save the distended bellies of fly eyed African children. Now very unsuccessfully and possibly seething the situations, but still trying none the less. Stay with me now, it’s just getting interesting. The developing world has demanded from the West, and rightfully so, financial investment or just lumps of cash, political and business structures or shadow replicas, medical aid without corresponding education on the economic side effects, shallow aspects like clothing, and any fathomable types of infrastructural advancements. But when it comes to growth that makes elders of long held cultural beliefs feel queasy, the brakes are pounded. As a bleeding heart, leftist praising, liberal, I’m all about “to each their own” when we’re talking about countries. If you want to cane people for spitting on the streets go for it…I’ll just remember not to fly there for stag nights, but whatever you want. Bolivia and Venezuela, you go with your socialist leaders. Chavez has a sexy, Hispanic Dom DeLuise thing going on, and Evo Morales is doing great with the indigenous population. Personally, I think Libya needs to start the procedures to clone Gaddafi. We can’t let that sense of style wither away. However, if we’re going to speak of the world as one great community with different actors, dog catchers, and neighborhood watch groups, we have to agree that there are certain rules to protect the population and ideals to motivate. Sociology produces what are called Universal Truths, Values, and even [Human] Rights. These are instruments vital to soaking through centuries of tradition and cracking the idea of, “Oh, it’s part of their culture.” It doesn’t matter which people you subscribe yourself with, women are equal citizens, so don’t beat them or think they’re a possession because you paid a bride price. Children deserve some level of stability for 18years, so don’t marry 3 women and have 30 kids, especially if you can’t support them. Governments should be accountable to their people, who should throw out corruption. Someone else’s time is just as valuable as yours, so don’t be two hours late…it's just rude. Witch doctors rarely work, and when they do it’s an herbal remedy for a simple illness. Ask a M.D. for a second opinion before you sleep with (rape) a virgin to cure your HIV. Oh, and just because someone does something with a consenting adult behind closed doors that you don’t understand, doesn’t give you the opportunity to beat them in the streets without legal consequence. A man who goes to a malaya (prostitute) and brings disease back to his wife and future children should appall you more than homosexuality. There is validity in using culture to change culture, but let’s not fool ourselves here. Truths in humanity are higher than what man conjures up in reaction to his environment. Now I’m sorry if you think I’ve begun to rant about the frailty of order and beliefs. I blame it on my culture.
