Friday, November 7, 2008
Let's take a little break while Dane continues to work on his "if I were president" entry
I wanted to share with you a book I've been reading call Three Cups of Tea. It's an inspirational true story of a man named Greg Mortenson. He grew up with his missionary parents in Tanzania, but attend high school and college in Minnesota and now lives in Bozeman, Mont. He doesn't believe that the war on terror can be won in a battle. He's fighting terrorism by educating children in Pakistan; building schools for boy and girls so they can know more about the world around them. They are not trying to "westernize" them, but to teach them by their own people, their own culture. Children who don't get this education have the option of being "educated" in madrassas -- which are militant "schools" that don't teach academics, but extremism. And of course, provide food and shelter, which is something most of their parents can't provide. It's a book that will inspire you, if nothing else, to tell your friends.... Here's his Wikipedia entry that links to the book and more....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Mortenson
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3 comments:
I have the book but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I will get on that.
A little explanation of the title:
The first time you share tea, you are a stranger, the second time, an honored guest, and the third, you become family.
This is so logical on a personal level. We can only build by engaging others, building mutual understanding and respect, not by force.
Ironically, this theme ties in with my upcoming post about Irag, and, how, with Bush gone, we as a nation should start applying this principle to our foreign policy.
Connie is going to let me borrow this book when I see her this weekend. She has told me numerous times that it is something I need to read. It sounds facinating.
I've been hopful for some time that our foreign policy would be based less on immediate reaction and more on reflection. I do believe that there are times when a country needs to react, but, more than not, sword rattling can be averted by words, not guns and bombs.
Am I really crazy to think that maybe, just maybe, we CAN talk to the "terrorists"? Obama was called out by McCain because he would talk and negotiate with the "terrorists". It seems pretty apparent to me that our current strategy hasn't worked very well.
I think it is worth a try.
I am only forty or fifty pages into this, but I can already tell it will be the most interesting and important book I read this year. Thanks Marna for reminding me about it and Sis for giving it to me.
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