Se haciendo un ciudadano global

This is an incredibly jumbled post. i apologize.

One thing that I have learned here is that ignorance about the world is not an option. It is known by the world the the United States citizens had loads of confidence in their government, but they are not very involved. United Statsians are not involved because they think its boring, or they don't really want to add another thing to their to-do list, or they don't think their opinion will matter. Here in Peru, the people know that the government is pretty corrupt, and they don't have a ton of confidence in them, but they know that if they don't get involved and ignore whats going on, nothing good is going to happen. This amazes me. In 1920, not even 100 years ago, woman faught for their right to vote and have equal rights as their male equals. 30 or so years later the Native Americans of our country did the same thing. Fought for the right to vote and make decisions on their government, their democratic government. What happened to us? Where did our fiery passion go about rights and equality and liberty and justice for all? It seems that we know we have a good life, and that what needs to get done will get done, and we don't need to deal with it. In America Latina, the people don't get involved with politics because they could be killed if the opposing political party doesn't like them. This doesn't stop them from rioting, rallying, and making their voices be heard.

Today we watched a movie in our ciencias politicas that was incredibly thought provoking. It was about my favorite topic: good vs evil. This was about Columbia in the 80s and 90s, during the years of the drug lords. Se llama Los Dos Escobars, Andrés Escabar and Pablo Escabar, two very different people who fought for Columbia in two very different ways. Let's start with Pablo. He was one of the biggest most powerful drug lords of all time. He was in compleat control of the underworld by selling cocaine to the US and some other countries. He was involved with one of the most violent wars of all time as he tried to escape from the governments of Colombia and US. He killed hundreds of people, and when he died he left Columbia in ruin. However, in his mind, and kinda in reality, he was a Robin Hood. He grew up in a very poor town, and his family didn't have enough money to feed the whole family properly. He even said "We should take money from the rich and give to the poor." He got involved with drugs and started making quite a bit of money. He went around the country sides to all the horrendously poor towns buiding soccer fiends, because to Colombian and especially Pablo, futbol was the escape from the hard dark life they lead. Later in life, when a fire took over the homes of 400 families, he built them all homes. No one would listen to the poorest of the poor in Columbia, except Pablo. He got himslef into the house of representitives, but was later thrown out because of where he got his money from. Thats when the war began. Pablo stratigicly killed people in the government who had hurt drug lords in the past, and who were against his ideas. Finally with two other drug lords banding together with the help of the US governmnet, Pablo was killed, and the voices of the poor rang out to the world "With Pablo gone, what are we going to do?" and "Señor Presidante if you think the violence will stop because Pablo is gone... don't be naïve." As far as drug lords in history go, Pablo was not a terrible man. He gave all orders, and was in complete control of the underworld. Everyone had to come to him first before doing something illegal. When he died, UTTER CIAOS broke out in Columbia. And this is where Andrés Escorbar comes in. He was one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He played for the columbian national team in the greatest Columbian soccer years. He was a good man with a big heart who Loved his country and soccer. When the was broke out between Pablo and Columbia, he used his money and time to reach out to those kids in the campos. He and the rest of the Columbian soccer team reached out and showed the world that Columbia wasn't a bunch of drug crazed fiends. He and the team made their way to the world cup in 1994. Unfortunately, before they got there their soccer player was put into jail for visiting Pablo in jail, one of their teammate's 3 year old son was kidnapped, and when they lost their first game to Romania the whole team received death threats and they had to pull one of the starters or else their families bak home would be in serious trouble. In their last game against USA which they loss, Andrés made a goal on his own goalie accidentally. When the team returned to Columbia, the were no longer looked up too, and Pablo was dead. Andrés Escocobar was shot and killed at a disco a few weeks after returning form the world cup. He was shot by the body guard of 2 drug lords. Since Pablo wasn't there anymore to say what do to and what not to do, everyone did what they wanted and didn't think twice about it.

What had humanity come to in that moment? A young man who would do anything for his people, who had a fiance, who was the face of Columbia, and who made an honest mistake in a soccer game was killed without a thought. At these moments i really do feel like, Why do i even bother? Why don't i just get up and move to Alaska and leave the stupid people of Columbia to fight for their own. They made this miss and they need to get out out it. I don't care anymore. Well, in becoming a global citizen, you can't do that. You have to suck it up and keep trying to make this world a better place by staying informed and giving all you got. Leaving society is an option, but not if you want this world to change. Stop complaining and DO something.

As another step to becoming a global citizen, I have started listening to the news. I have the BBCs Global News iPod and CNN's 2 minute news updates. (If anyone has any other suggestions please let me know!) The CNNs are very unbiased, just what happened today in a few minutes. Sometimes the global news pods have stories that are fluff and sometimes the reporters curve the story, but I'm glad i know enough to realize when that happens. I also know that wehn i get back to the states and my netflix online starts working again i need to start watching documentaries, and when I'm done with the open veins of America Latina i have to read other books on the history of our world. I want to be a global citizan who is involved and who knows about what is happening , has happened and what will happen in the world we live in. Because there is only one of them, and if we don't understand and and accept what has happened... who knows what our future holds.

I got a letter from President Huddelston of UNH saying that the government is thinking of making a 45% budget cut for state funded schools. WHAT!?!?! In times of economic hardship, why in the wordd are the schools the first things to go? What kind of future are we giving the kids of America if programs are cut, teachers are fired or payed less, and they can't have the opportunity to learn how we learned. Andy and I have this conversation alot, about money and people and who needs what. Andy and I have had the privileged of being born into middle class families in the US, which is the richest of the rich in any país de American Latina. When we graduatate and get jobs, just by what our professions are we too will be middle class American. We had the opportunities as children to do ANYTHING, any sport, any musical intruments, becasue we were born into the world of oppurtunity. It is our job, our responsibility to give our money to those who don't have it, to those who were not born into our opportunity. We will have the money, and I live how i want to live, minimal and sustainable, what else am i going to do with the money? We need to support the programs of schools, and volunteer organizations, and health care for all because we have what hardly anyone else has Opportunity.