Most people in the western world are very wealthy by most any measure. That means we have extraordinary opportunities to change other people's lives. If you've ever walked around a poorer country, where the average person is earning a couple of dollars a day, you've probably thought about this, how a fraction of your weekly income could send a child to a good school for a year, or enable an entrepreneur to start a business. Most of us try not to think about this. But an Oxford University ethics professor named Toby Ord has thought about it a great deal.
Ord founded an organization called Giving What We Can. It includes a list of his favorite charities (he favors ones oriented toward health, relatively small investments that allow people to live much longer and more happily). The site also includes a calculator that lets you know about how much good you can do. He advocates that people earning generous salaries donate a large chunk of it--50% rather than just 10% But I plugged in 10% of $80,000 or 25 years. That amount of giving would produce an additional 3,636 years of healthy living, the equilalent of saving dozens of lives. Or you could put that money into a time share or vacation home. Which is what most of us will do.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
Violence and Innocent Children
Every mass shooting leaves me sad--but also frustrated. I recall when my first book appeared, a history of violence against wives, nearly twenty years ago, and I was trying with very little success to interest Portland radio stations in it. KBOO did an hour-long interview, but the leading AM station said that they weren't interested until something newsworthy happened. Finally the day came when a husband kidnapped a child rather than simply beating up his wife. This was news. But shortly before the interview was to commence a large passenger plane crashed and killed many people. As an airline crash trumped a child kidnapping every day of the week, my ten minutes of fame was reduced to "can you sum up your book in a single sentence?" I replied, with a touch of sarcasm, that the book argued that violence against wives should be understood as an ongoing process, not peculiar events. I might have added that many more people are killed in automobile accidents than in airplane crashes, but I was out of time.
Of course twenty-seven people--most of them young children--being killed in a single event is tragic. But I'm not convinced that it should become the prime driver of policy and legislation. A few commentators have pointed out the neglected fact that homicides in the U.S. have been in steady decline in recent years. So maybe the nation is not going to hell in a hand basket. School shootings remain extremely rare. Do we want to take money away from teachers so that every school has armed guards? And in talking about the pros and cons of controlling guns or disseminating them more widely, shouldn't we be studying subjects such as the likelihood of accidental shootings, events that are so common as to be unremarkable and therefore not newsworthy?
I also wonder why we don't pay more attention to the deaths of innocent children that are relatively easy to prevent. Few of us realize that our tax dollars are funding drone attacks that have killed scores of innocent children. Thousands of children perish every day across the globe for lack of food and simple medicines. Even right here in the U.S.A. millions of children's lives are endangered by problems such as poverty, malnutrition, obesity, and environmental health hazards that we lack the political will to address.
There is a lot that we can't do--or at least can't easily do. But when it comes to saving innocent children, there is also a lot of "low-hanging fruit."
Of course twenty-seven people--most of them young children--being killed in a single event is tragic. But I'm not convinced that it should become the prime driver of policy and legislation. A few commentators have pointed out the neglected fact that homicides in the U.S. have been in steady decline in recent years. So maybe the nation is not going to hell in a hand basket. School shootings remain extremely rare. Do we want to take money away from teachers so that every school has armed guards? And in talking about the pros and cons of controlling guns or disseminating them more widely, shouldn't we be studying subjects such as the likelihood of accidental shootings, events that are so common as to be unremarkable and therefore not newsworthy?
I also wonder why we don't pay more attention to the deaths of innocent children that are relatively easy to prevent. Few of us realize that our tax dollars are funding drone attacks that have killed scores of innocent children. Thousands of children perish every day across the globe for lack of food and simple medicines. Even right here in the U.S.A. millions of children's lives are endangered by problems such as poverty, malnutrition, obesity, and environmental health hazards that we lack the political will to address.
There is a lot that we can't do--or at least can't easily do. But when it comes to saving innocent children, there is also a lot of "low-hanging fruit."
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Christmas Versus X-Mas
It's that time of year again. . . . No, I'm not talking about the bright lights, lilting carols, or barrage of adverstisements and unhealthy foods besieging us at every turn. 'Tis the season of "Happy Holidays" versus "Merry Christmas," that time of year that we celebrate the Winter Solstice and the Birth of Christ by yelling at each other about the true meaning of the holiday.
I find myself empathizing with both sides here, up to a point, with both those who feel like Evangelical Christians are trying to force Jesus down their throats and those who believe that, for them, Christ is at the center of Christmas--what ever other antecedents and associations the holiday might have. If you believe that the central event in the history of humanity is God breaking into our world through becoming human, it's hard to take the often shallow forms of X-Mas that saturate our culture.
But I cannot muster much sympathy for Christians who respond to X-Mas by ranting at clerks who say "Happy Holidays" or bemoaning the fact that some public places don't allow creche scenes. Many Christians seem unable to accept the fact that mainstream American culture does not reflect much of the New Testament. They seem perpetually bemused and outraged that most Americans are worshipping other gods: wealth, fame, pleasure, to name a few. It's perhaps useful to remind ourselves that Jesus didn't come into the world as mainstream sort of guy. He was born to and among humble people. He hung out with the poor and the maligned. He was killed by authorities religious and secular. So why are so many of his followers now trying to enshrine him at our shopping malls and town squares?
I find myself empathizing with both sides here, up to a point, with both those who feel like Evangelical Christians are trying to force Jesus down their throats and those who believe that, for them, Christ is at the center of Christmas--what ever other antecedents and associations the holiday might have. If you believe that the central event in the history of humanity is God breaking into our world through becoming human, it's hard to take the often shallow forms of X-Mas that saturate our culture.
But I cannot muster much sympathy for Christians who respond to X-Mas by ranting at clerks who say "Happy Holidays" or bemoaning the fact that some public places don't allow creche scenes. Many Christians seem unable to accept the fact that mainstream American culture does not reflect much of the New Testament. They seem perpetually bemused and outraged that most Americans are worshipping other gods: wealth, fame, pleasure, to name a few. It's perhaps useful to remind ourselves that Jesus didn't come into the world as mainstream sort of guy. He was born to and among humble people. He hung out with the poor and the maligned. He was killed by authorities religious and secular. So why are so many of his followers now trying to enshrine him at our shopping malls and town squares?
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Why Ghanaian History Focuses on Big States and Big Men
I've been revising an article that I started working on a year ago that examines the history of surveys of Ghanaian history--or historiography. Historiography sounds very, very boring, but it can be quite interesting, often reveals as much about the period in which the history was written as it does about the subject of the history.
Not surprisingly, early histories of Ghana written by Brits tended to focus on Ghana's relations with Great Britain. Independence brought much more emphasis on Ghanaian history, especially the accomplishments of Asante, an Akan-based state that created an empire at least as large as modern Ghana, and the long independence movement. But these histories still focused on elites, and more recent histories of Ghana--especially those created for students--have continued this trend.
There are several explanations for this. Some historians argue that African historians internalized the methods and values of traditional colonial history and therefore emphasized the accomplishments of big states and big men--sort of like African American historians who focused on people like George Washington Carver rather than the lives of slaves. But it's also the case that Ghanaian histories--oral and written--have long focused on the fate of states and rulers. And some states outlawed any mention of the existence of states they had conquered. As the saying goes, the winners get to write the histories. One could argue that this focus on the history of powerful governments and people serves the interests of the current state by diverting attention from subjects that could lead to political or social disunity, such as poverty and inequality.
There are scores of interesting books and articles about the social and cultural life of Ghana, past and present. But due to the factors noted above, it seems unlikely that authors of historical surveys will make use of them.
Not surprisingly, early histories of Ghana written by Brits tended to focus on Ghana's relations with Great Britain. Independence brought much more emphasis on Ghanaian history, especially the accomplishments of Asante, an Akan-based state that created an empire at least as large as modern Ghana, and the long independence movement. But these histories still focused on elites, and more recent histories of Ghana--especially those created for students--have continued this trend.
There are several explanations for this. Some historians argue that African historians internalized the methods and values of traditional colonial history and therefore emphasized the accomplishments of big states and big men--sort of like African American historians who focused on people like George Washington Carver rather than the lives of slaves. But it's also the case that Ghanaian histories--oral and written--have long focused on the fate of states and rulers. And some states outlawed any mention of the existence of states they had conquered. As the saying goes, the winners get to write the histories. One could argue that this focus on the history of powerful governments and people serves the interests of the current state by diverting attention from subjects that could lead to political or social disunity, such as poverty and inequality.
There are scores of interesting books and articles about the social and cultural life of Ghana, past and present. But due to the factors noted above, it seems unlikely that authors of historical surveys will make use of them.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Ghanaian and Catholic Schools: Comfortable with Deference
I had the honor today of visiting several classrooms at St. Andrew Nativity School, where I started volunteering as a tutor nine weeks ago, to talk about Ghana. And I was soon telling the students that of the many classrooms I have visited in the U.S., theirs most reminded me of Ghana.
There are, to be sure, a lot of differences: temperature control; furnishings; number of books and other teaching aids.
But there are also a lot of similarities. The students at St. Andrew are much more respectful toward adults than are most students in the U.S. This is not just a question of wearing uniforms and being quiet--though that helps. It also seems to be internalized. The students at St. Andrew seem to view their school as a splendid opportunity. Indeed, the school is one of many Catholic efforts to provide an outstanding education to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. But across the U.S. there are students from all sorts of backgrounds who seem to view school as some sort of punishment. I recall students from my own childhood who seemed utterly devoted to driving teachers into early retirement. The students at St. Andrew, like those I met and observed in Ghana, seem very pleased to be in school and to take pride in their accomplishments and ambitions.
In chatting with one of the staff members today, we remarked that the American love for equality and freedom has often translated into a distrust of any sort of hierarchy or deference. But the students in Ghana and at St. Andrew seem pleased to show respect to their teachers in particular and to adults in general, people who are, one hopes, helping them to move from childhood to maturity, dependence to responsibility.
The website for St. Andrew Nativity School: http://nativityportland.com/
There are, to be sure, a lot of differences: temperature control; furnishings; number of books and other teaching aids.
But there are also a lot of similarities. The students at St. Andrew are much more respectful toward adults than are most students in the U.S. This is not just a question of wearing uniforms and being quiet--though that helps. It also seems to be internalized. The students at St. Andrew seem to view their school as a splendid opportunity. Indeed, the school is one of many Catholic efforts to provide an outstanding education to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. But across the U.S. there are students from all sorts of backgrounds who seem to view school as some sort of punishment. I recall students from my own childhood who seemed utterly devoted to driving teachers into early retirement. The students at St. Andrew, like those I met and observed in Ghana, seem very pleased to be in school and to take pride in their accomplishments and ambitions.
In chatting with one of the staff members today, we remarked that the American love for equality and freedom has often translated into a distrust of any sort of hierarchy or deference. But the students in Ghana and at St. Andrew seem pleased to show respect to their teachers in particular and to adults in general, people who are, one hopes, helping them to move from childhood to maturity, dependence to responsibility.
The website for St. Andrew Nativity School: http://nativityportland.com/
Friday, November 23, 2012
Life's Sneaker Waves
We've been staying the past couple of days south of Lincoln City, very close to the spot where four years ago I nearly got swept into the ocean by a sneaker wave. It was Wendy's 50th birthday celebration week-end, and I went for a walk with a friend. We were talking, and I turned to see a huge wave coming at us, yelled to Mary to run, and made it to the rocks on the base of a short cliff, where I climbed up a couple of feet and then hung. on. The wave washed completely over me, and as I held on for dear life I remember hoping with all my might that Mary would be there when the wave receded. She was not. I saw her in the ocean, being sucked out to sea. So I figured I'd see if the next wave would bring her in, then decide whether or not to jump in to try to save her. I'm a terrible swimmer. It was a cold day; both of us had bulky clothes on. But jumping in seemed like it would be the right thing to do. But Mary found a way to find the current that was driving toward shore, and the next wave deposited her on the beach. I kept yelling at her to get up. I didn't want to go anywhere near the ocean. She asked for help, so I trotted out and helped her up. We went back to the house. Life went on.
I was troubled by the event for a long time. I felt so helpless and frightened on that rock. And I wondered what I would have done--or should have done--if Mary had stayed out in the ocean.
I finally got specialized, rapid-eye-movement therapy to help me process and heal from the trauma of the event. And the therapist helped me to realize that I dealt with the episode very successfully: I took care of myself, then I took care of my friend. Who knows what I would have done--or should have done--if she had been swept out to sea.
But I still think of the episode from time to time. Mostly I think about how ordinary the day seemed and how quickly the prospect of helplessness and death appeared. My life almost always seems ordinary, even routine, and I almost always feel in control. But big events--danger, death, and other traumas--will come again, probably without warning.
I was troubled by the event for a long time. I felt so helpless and frightened on that rock. And I wondered what I would have done--or should have done--if Mary had stayed out in the ocean.
I finally got specialized, rapid-eye-movement therapy to help me process and heal from the trauma of the event. And the therapist helped me to realize that I dealt with the episode very successfully: I took care of myself, then I took care of my friend. Who knows what I would have done--or should have done--if she had been swept out to sea.
But I still think of the episode from time to time. Mostly I think about how ordinary the day seemed and how quickly the prospect of helplessness and death appeared. My life almost always seems ordinary, even routine, and I almost always feel in control. But big events--danger, death, and other traumas--will come again, probably without warning.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
The End of Christian America?
I seldom blog about explicitly religious subjects, as it seems like the one topic of conversation guaranteed to alienate at least some of my friends and students. But the last election has me thinking about the relationship between Christianity and the mainstream political culture of the U.S.
Given the defeat of Republicans at the polls and, especially, the gains made by proponents of same-sex marriage, some Evangelical Christians have concluded that the nation has decisively turned away from Christian values.
I have two (very different) objections to this way of thinking. First, I think and believe that an open-minded reading (if such an endeavor is possible) of the New Testament suggests that Jesus and the early church were much more interested in people showing love and care for each other than in such subjects as abortion and same-sex relations--not to mention that the very definitions terms like "homosexual" are historically plastic and indeterminate. And where is the chorus of outrage from conservative Christian commentators over drone attacks that kill innocent children or the deaths of several thousand children each day from lack of food and simple medicines? Second, should we really expect the Christianity of the New Testament to become the basis of popular culture in any deep and meaningful way? It seems to me that the crux of Christianity is God becoming human and offering himself as a sacrifice to humanity even as they--literally--crucify him. Jesus washes the feet of his disciples even as he tells them that they will betray and abandon him on the cross. He urges people to confess their sins, their need for forgiveness, and to lay down their lives in humble service to God and humanity. Does this sound like the Republican Party or mainstream America?
Christians haven't lost America. They never had it.
Given the defeat of Republicans at the polls and, especially, the gains made by proponents of same-sex marriage, some Evangelical Christians have concluded that the nation has decisively turned away from Christian values.
I have two (very different) objections to this way of thinking. First, I think and believe that an open-minded reading (if such an endeavor is possible) of the New Testament suggests that Jesus and the early church were much more interested in people showing love and care for each other than in such subjects as abortion and same-sex relations--not to mention that the very definitions terms like "homosexual" are historically plastic and indeterminate. And where is the chorus of outrage from conservative Christian commentators over drone attacks that kill innocent children or the deaths of several thousand children each day from lack of food and simple medicines? Second, should we really expect the Christianity of the New Testament to become the basis of popular culture in any deep and meaningful way? It seems to me that the crux of Christianity is God becoming human and offering himself as a sacrifice to humanity even as they--literally--crucify him. Jesus washes the feet of his disciples even as he tells them that they will betray and abandon him on the cross. He urges people to confess their sins, their need for forgiveness, and to lay down their lives in humble service to God and humanity. Does this sound like the Republican Party or mainstream America?
Christians haven't lost America. They never had it.
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