Recently, I have noticed that I get terribly annoyed with a particular reference that people use way too often.
And it lies with one word: Africa.
Whenever people want to refer to one thing or another that ties into one country or region of the continent, they for some strange reason find it to be more descriptive to just say that it occurs "in Africa".
Excuse my language, but WHAT DOES THAT FUCKING MEAN?
Does that mean that something is prevalent in the bustling towns of southwestern Nigeria? Or in the mountain-carved regions of northern Sudan? Or perhaps that refers to the rain forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or maybe the Namib Desert that resides in Namibia (WOW, look at that, there are deserts other than the Sahara; the more you know!).
Perhaps you see what I'm getting at. You cannot, cannot, CANNOT keep referring to the whole continent when talking about specific things. Each nation is distinct, with its own identity and its own people, culture, and history, and by lumping them all together does a disservice to that diversity, as well as allows the rest of the world get away with the ignorance that lies behind the use of this broad categorization.
Honestly, I much prefer that you to just PICK A FUCKING COUNTRY. Like truly. It is probably not far from the truth that some issues are present in some place, in some form in every African country. Like healthcare access disparities (I mean, this issue is even present right here at home in the US). To me, it sounds much more intelligent and much less ignorant to speak of healthcare issues occurring in Malawi than to just hand-wave it and say that it is occurring "in Africa" (for the record, I do know of specific healthcare issues that exist in Malawi). This being said, the even more intelligible thing is to do some research before you open your mouth to make the lazy 'Africa' claim. If you want to say that something is happening somewhere, FIND THAT PLACE WHERE IT IS HAPPENING. So simple. Especially in these times, when we can access information within seconds. (And don't worry; Google is much more forgiving than I am when it comes to these things.)
Thanks for reading, and please share this if you enjoyed this.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Why President Obama (or any other American President) Does Not Have To Apologize For The WW2 Nuclear Bombings of Japan
Last week, the United States President Barack Obama visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in Hiroshima, Japan and delivered a speech. He is the first sitting US President to visit the city. There were many questions raised as to whether or not the President should offer an apology for the bombings that occurred 71 years ago.
For those of you who are a bit rusty on your US history: on August 6, 1945 the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, followed by the release of a second bomb three days later on Nagasaki, Japan.
Now, let me tell you what I will and won't do here. What I won't do is debate the merits of detonating the bombs in the first place. There are longstanding arguments as to whether it was necessary to carry out the bombings, with valid points raised on each side. And as much as you all know that I love talking about WWII, I'm not going to touch that side of this topic. Way too messy.
What I am more immediately interested in is the many calls for President Obama to apologize to Japan for the United States' decision to drop the bombs which resulted in the death of tens of thousands of Japanese people in the process.
Let me make something clear: I in no way, shape, form or fashion am in support of the use of weapons of mass destruction. However, I stand firmly by my opinion, which is that there is no place for an apology on President Obama's part.
To see things from my perspective, you have to have an intricate understanding of WWII. And lucky for you guys, I have an unhealthy obsession with that particular time period, so I can give you a tiny bit of that insight right here(:
To me, the most vital thing that must be understood is that if the United States did not use the atomic bomb first, someone would have. Let me repeat: IF THE US HADN'T USED THE A-BOMB FIRST, SOMEONE ELSE WOULD HAVE DONE IT. Why do I seem so comfortable making such assertions? Because it is true. By the 1940s German scientists were already hard at work to perfect a nuclear weapon, with Russia trying to pursue such technologies as well. Of course we only know one course of history, so it it terribly hard to imagine what would have occurred if the Nazis had been the ones to use that technology first, and how that would have effected how we know life in the world as it is.
Under this calculus, I see no need for any apology. It was a last resort action, that likely would have occurred through one course of action or another at that point in time. It is ignorant of me to say that the way that it occurred was the best, since I have no knowledge of what it would have been like otherwise, but considering what the other regimes at that time stood for, I'm glad that it didn't happen any other way.
Now thankfully, our current commander-in-cheif handles himself with such grace and charisma, that he blew me off his feet by how he addressed the bombings and the aftermath they left on the Japanese and their nation. He spoke of the lives that were lost with great respect and remorse, while highlighting how far we have come, and how far we as humans have to go in order to ensure that nuclear technologies don't result in more catastrophic future consequences. I can't imagine any better way to go about it. His demeanor towards the entire situation was truly remarkable, and while he did not apologize, I think that the words he spoke held far greater weight and importance than 'I'm sorry' could ever capture.
Thanks for reading.
For those of you who are a bit rusty on your US history: on August 6, 1945 the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, followed by the release of a second bomb three days later on Nagasaki, Japan.
Now, let me tell you what I will and won't do here. What I won't do is debate the merits of detonating the bombs in the first place. There are longstanding arguments as to whether it was necessary to carry out the bombings, with valid points raised on each side. And as much as you all know that I love talking about WWII, I'm not going to touch that side of this topic. Way too messy.
What I am more immediately interested in is the many calls for President Obama to apologize to Japan for the United States' decision to drop the bombs which resulted in the death of tens of thousands of Japanese people in the process.
Let me make something clear: I in no way, shape, form or fashion am in support of the use of weapons of mass destruction. However, I stand firmly by my opinion, which is that there is no place for an apology on President Obama's part.
To see things from my perspective, you have to have an intricate understanding of WWII. And lucky for you guys, I have an unhealthy obsession with that particular time period, so I can give you a tiny bit of that insight right here(:
To me, the most vital thing that must be understood is that if the United States did not use the atomic bomb first, someone would have. Let me repeat: IF THE US HADN'T USED THE A-BOMB FIRST, SOMEONE ELSE WOULD HAVE DONE IT. Why do I seem so comfortable making such assertions? Because it is true. By the 1940s German scientists were already hard at work to perfect a nuclear weapon, with Russia trying to pursue such technologies as well. Of course we only know one course of history, so it it terribly hard to imagine what would have occurred if the Nazis had been the ones to use that technology first, and how that would have effected how we know life in the world as it is.
Under this calculus, I see no need for any apology. It was a last resort action, that likely would have occurred through one course of action or another at that point in time. It is ignorant of me to say that the way that it occurred was the best, since I have no knowledge of what it would have been like otherwise, but considering what the other regimes at that time stood for, I'm glad that it didn't happen any other way.
Now thankfully, our current commander-in-cheif handles himself with such grace and charisma, that he blew me off his feet by how he addressed the bombings and the aftermath they left on the Japanese and their nation. He spoke of the lives that were lost with great respect and remorse, while highlighting how far we have come, and how far we as humans have to go in order to ensure that nuclear technologies don't result in more catastrophic future consequences. I can't imagine any better way to go about it. His demeanor towards the entire situation was truly remarkable, and while he did not apologize, I think that the words he spoke held far greater weight and importance than 'I'm sorry' could ever capture.
Thanks for reading.
Friday, June 3, 2016
New Adventure: Punta Cana, Republica Dominicana
I have found that as I get older, I began exhibiting the very habit that I detest so much: constantly saying that I will do something, and never doing it. It makes me cringe to think that I am falling into this routine, especially considering that my mother did it to me so much growing up. From dog promises to DisneyWorld visits we never took, she was good at never keeping her word on doing things. And as I get older, I have been catching myself doing the same: saying I will do something, and letting days go by with only excuses and justifications, and no actions.
So I've decided to change my ways, starting with one passion that I also took from my mother: traveling. I love learning about new cultures, and I have been itching to transverse the numerous countries of the world just as my mother did at my age. And considering that my closest counterparts have recently been traveling all around to places like Iceland, Nepal, Austria and Hong Kong, I have to say that I am a little envious of them, and eager to have some experiences for myself.
Up until now, I have only traveled to Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. So I'm looking to expand my viewpoints and meet some awesome people in the process...and that will be starting with the lovely Dominican Republic.
I was fortunate enough to land an internship opportunity studying medicinal plant usage in la Republica Dominicana. So for the next 8weeks, I'll be periodically documenting my time here, as well as trying to keep abreast with other issues of the world. Hopefully by doing this, I will not only share my experiences with others, but also be able to reflect on those experiences in a manner that maximizes their positive influence onto me as a person.
So keep checking in for updates on my DR adventure!
So I've decided to change my ways, starting with one passion that I also took from my mother: traveling. I love learning about new cultures, and I have been itching to transverse the numerous countries of the world just as my mother did at my age. And considering that my closest counterparts have recently been traveling all around to places like Iceland, Nepal, Austria and Hong Kong, I have to say that I am a little envious of them, and eager to have some experiences for myself.
Up until now, I have only traveled to Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. So I'm looking to expand my viewpoints and meet some awesome people in the process...and that will be starting with the lovely Dominican Republic.
I was fortunate enough to land an internship opportunity studying medicinal plant usage in la Republica Dominicana. So for the next 8weeks, I'll be periodically documenting my time here, as well as trying to keep abreast with other issues of the world. Hopefully by doing this, I will not only share my experiences with others, but also be able to reflect on those experiences in a manner that maximizes their positive influence onto me as a person.
So keep checking in for updates on my DR adventure!
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