What is WRONG with the human race?! Seriously, who decided way-back-when that it was ok to kill another person in vengeance, subjugate women, and dominate “strange” cultures? As a Biology major, I realize that there is an evolutionary reason for all of this – survival of the best fit, and all. But as a Religion major, I feel like there should be some sort of philosophical counter-argument. I feel like violence can’t possibly be the best way to solve problems, and cannot understand what could possibly cause someone to raise a hand in violence against another person. Is there any hope for humanity, or are we all just going to kill each other for inane, asinine reasons?
For the past 6 weeks, the CASAS students have undergone a crash course in the long history of violence and conflict in Guatemala, including (but certainly not limited to) massacres of the indigenous by the Spanish in the 1600s, subsequent repression and destruction of the Mayan way of life and spirituality by the Catholic Church, continuing discrimination against the Maya that culminated (and supposedly ended) in the 30-year civil war between the 70s and 90s, and increased violence in the last few years. Today’s lecture capped it all off, though. We were visited by two women lawyers from the organization “Sobrevivia” (Survival). Their pro-bono lawyers work primarily on behalf of victims of sexual violence, both of men and women. Machismo and violence against women is ridiculously high in Guatemala. “Femicide” is the term usually used – crimes against women simply because they are women. Women have been killed, beaten, raped, tortured, beheaded, nearly 2,000 cases of murder last year, all filed under “crimes of passion.” The lawyers gave us several examples of cases – three little girls, one raped, all with their throats cut with machetes; a woman beaten nearly to death with a rock and with all major facial landmarks cut off, simply because she filed for a monthly $75 in child support; an American missionary who sexually abused 40 indigenous 8-10 year old boys – that they had fought and won in the last several years. It was disgusting. I wanted to cry. WHAT WOULD COMPEL SOMEONE TO DO THAT?! I know that there are shining examples of kind, gentle, compassionate individuals who have touched the lives of thousands of people, but sometimes, I’m just so overwhelmed by the amount of violence by human beings against other human beings. I don’t understand. I will never understand.
Humanity is overrated. I’m going to be a rainbow.
You know, sometimes I wonder if there's too much pain and violence in this world for peace and love to ever overcome. You know what I decided? Probably. But that doesn't mean we can't try to change it, nor that we don't have a duty to do so. Just do what you can. We should talk about this when you get back, and get some real family anger/outrage going.
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