After reading The Prescense of Fear by Wendell Berry, I had one lingering idea in my head and that was if a local economy gives up its ability to be subsistence farmers and using their time to produce goods for another economy. To me this is crazy to think that a logical person could do this. But for many it seems the only option to survive day to day. This does not happen alot in the United Sates, more frequently in empoverished nations. "They (Ogowe villagers) gave up their local means of subsistence, and imposed the false standard of a foreign demand" (Berry 32). To me a logical thought would be if I am a poor farmer, I would produce for myself and my family, then export any unneeded surplus to another nation much like Schweitzer discussed. Why produce for another nation when your own family cannot produce for itself?
I read The Revolution of Spirit by Ms. Kyi's Son. This essay held alot of weight as I read for one big reason, the person who the Nobel Prize was awarded to was under house arrest and her son was accepting it in her abscense. This just seemed crazy to me, this peaceful woman was a prisoner in her own home not even being able to see her husband berfore he died, just because she stood up peacefully for the nation she loved. At the begining of the speech her son speaks of the tragic events that happen in their beloved country of Burma. "the hope of Burma, dying of malaria in the jungles to which they have fled; that of the Buddhist monks, beaten and dishonored" (Bloom 596). This struck me as awful and disgusting, these monks are signs of peace and non-violence. The idea that someone could do harm against these men is unthinkable and wrong. Anyone who can rationalize these actions is unstable and needs to be put in a mental institution. I understand Miss Kyi has been relaeased from her house arrest and I can not wait to see what she can do for the future of Burma.
Very good question for the story written by Berry. It doesn't make since why a farmer would do that. I also read The Revolution of Spirit and it too struck me on how she couldn't accept her award because she was on house arrest. I thought maybe they could have given her a little time to go accept it but I thought it was a very good speech that her son gave.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that people can be arrested for standing up for the rights of others is horrible. No one should be silenced. Everyone who has something to say should, at the very least, be heard. The fact that people aren't listened to is the reason why the world has its problems. We suppress people that want nothing but peace for our own selfish needs.
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