Rights, pt. 2

They say there is cycle and a system to cultural adjustment. That all extranjeros follow a certain pattern, to some extent. Along this pattern line there is a point where we´re all supposed to face the deeper differences between our host culture and our home culture. Perhaps I´ve hit that, and perhaps that´s why this question of rights continues to pop up.

Background:

I used to be a poli-sci major. Keeping up on the news was part of my morning ritual. Wake up. Brush teeth. Read headlines. Put on socks.

But since arriving in Ecuador, I´ve fallen off the bandwagon. Thus, I only found out two days ago that the U.S. is leaving Iraq. This realization sent me in search of more U.S. news, and so yesterday found me on the NYTimes website. I stumbled upon the Terry Jones story.

Mr. Jones is the preacher who is promoting Sept. 11 as ¨International Burn a Koran Day.¨ Perhaps you heard of him.

I won´t recount the story here, because it´s pretty easy to find and read for yourself. But my reaction brings back this question of rights.

When I read the articles about Mr. Jones, I was shocked, angry, and hurt, for several reasons:

As an American, particularly an American in a foreign country, I am dissapointed to be associated with his xenophobia. I´m the only U.S. citizen in one of my classes (and one of two in another). This makes me an ambassador of sorts when we talk about cultural values, and to have stories like this circulating makes it that much harder to explain to my classmates that not all Americans are the same.

As a Christian, I am offended to be linked to his intolerance. How can I expect people to believe me when I tell them that I serve a loving and merciful God, when someone is proclaiming hate and intolerance in His name?

As a human being, I am ashamed. One of the articles I read included an interview with a Muslim man in Mr. Jone´s nieghborhood. His concluding statement was that on Sept. 11 he will honor the American tragedy the same way he does every year, by going downtown and feeding the homeless. When people who don´t profess to following Christ do a better job of it than those that do, I have no choice but to question our motives.

Thus, I´m angered by this story. My brain is screaming. What right does Mr. Jones have to spread hatred and intolerance like this?

So, like any good 21st century American youth wanting to let off some steam, I posted my thoughts on facebook. [This in itself is shameful, but I´ll come back to that]. In response to my post, my good friend Aaron raised a valid question:

What right do I have to tell Mr. Jones what he can and cannot do? If he buys a book in the U.S., legally, he has the right to do just about whatever he wants with it. At what point do we draw the line?

Food for thought, at any rate.

In hindsight, I am ashamed that my first reaction to something I find unjust is to post it on facebook [and now, a blog]. My good friend Lianni used to remind me about the difference between charity and justice. Putting on a bandaid, and finding the source of the pain. Both are necessary. Perhaps this is a situation where I need to practice a little less lip-service charity, and seek out ways to work towards justice.