Saturday, December 02, 2006

Who advocates for the worldwide impoverished females?

Todays NY TIMES (12/3/2006) front page headlines tell a most terrible story as to the state of women in Africa. Child abuse is rampant there. Girls are raped by their relatives with impunity. The culture and the laws all conspire to protect the men from prosecution, or for financial liability for the harm they have caused. Only yesterday, Annette and I were viewing a CD of a movie made in India. I suggest you get hold of it : "Water". It tells of the tragic lives of widowed women and female children. We follow the plight of a seven year old girl whose ancient husband has just died and being taken from her parents to spend the rest of of her days in a commune where she as a newbie widow joins these women who are forced to live celibate, secluded existences. As widows the families of the deceased enforce their being untouchables for the remainder of their lives. A woman or child who does not immolate herself along with her deceased husband cannot leave this community or marry again. We observe that they are turned over to pimps as courtesans so as to help these impoverished women to subsist on their meager allowances.

I am also cognizant of there being many female children who are victims of AIDS because they are not protected from the predations of the members of their own families. Or that in parts of Africa they are on the front line for being raped and murdered (ethnic cleansing)... Wherever there is an ongoing disparity between the value and hierarchical status of males and females, where-ever it prevails, be it in Asia, or the the subcontinent, the Middle East, in Africa. or among isolated sects and communities here in the North American or South American continents, such tragedies and horrors persist.


You and those who have commented in the recent discussion (see links), re: Lazy Geisha / old-klingon-proverbs) addressing the least and perhaps trivial aspects of what are much more serious crimes against women all over the world. And it seems a shame that we who are so much better off are turning a blind eye on the dreadful realities among the impoverished world wide - the women and girl children held hostage and captive in so many countries and continents today.

Who advocates for them, Do you and I?

We do not talk enough about the existence of what is a worldwide sex industry, one involving the selling and trading of flesh and sex ... (especially underage girls and women, ones who are bought sold, traded. stolen- exported to foreign places where the laws and cultures allow it. How many human lives are impounded for the vanity and libidinous appetites of the wealthy? What venue have WE created or joined for the addressing of these horrors?

I count myself among the lucky ones, the very fortunate few who indeed is living where these atrocities do not bar our enjoying our daily and routine lifestyles. We live comfortably, in safety, able to choose with ease to not discuss what in our polite circles is distasteful and inconvenient.

We 'tend our gardens' blogsites, entertain and are entertained by our friends, are satisfied to think of ourselves as enlightened and positive thinking. We can continue enjoying our good lives.

It is a sorry thing to feel like a gadfly as to be raising (berating) your consciousness with such irritants as this. We are among the very blessed and fortunate -and in truth, have actually very little to bellyache about. We go on holiday to tropic islands, never taking any note of the islanders living outside our immediate hotel environs, noting the poverty that exists, its ubiquity. We may occasionally encounter some lout, note the behavior of someone we deem obnoxious, misogynist, sneer and spout some pious words of our disdain and disapproval. I am sorry to say it is about all we do. We lack any sense of our collusion in this, any sense of our responsibility as to how we might serve to intervene or correct it... We don't do more than we are doing.

Not even in our own neck of the woods.

We pay no tithes. Not in time, money, or allegiance ,,, only lip service.

3 Comments:

Blogger nina said...

Norman,

You've articulated subjects which I'm very passionate about, and your questions are completely valid.

As I've suggested in my own sphere, we must raise consciousness of these issues and try to think globally by acting locally.

Thank you for making these points and expressing true outrage at the conditions some women are forced to exist in.

xoxo,
nina

December 7, 2006 at 4:02 PM  
Blogger Norman Shapiro said...

My 'outrage' Ah yes! It is as to that aspect of who I am that I hope eventually to elucidate..; My 'porn' become 'art'! and my 'art' as 'porn'... or perhaps 'antiporn'.... (matter / anti-matter)

But of that, -"to be continued "...

I see myself as this Everyman in this Here and Now of 'The Western World',... a blogger musing, perhaps to quicken some discourse (a forum) as to this dichotomy as a cipher and mystery....

Nina, xox.
Norman

December 7, 2006 at 5:48 PM  
Blogger Norman Shapiro said...

lazy geisha,

it may interest you to know that I've this morning posted an article entitled "Outrage".

"True Outrage", (to quote your choce of words, sincere and true,.. have roots. I tell an anecdote, trace the vectors backwards in time to moment in my childhood. I hope you find the time to read this. What is outrage, but the verso side of inrage?

Norman

December 11, 2006 at 2:11 PM  

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