Hi Teresa-
That was a great email. And look at this! (Well I'm sure you've seen it
before, but others haven't.)
http://maps.
That's not a simple map of Hispaniola where someone just colored the
Dominican Republic a dark green and Haiti a pale yellow- it's a satellite
image. Zooming in looks even more incredible- that color change goes right
up to the fence between them. Here's a film of people at a border crossing-
http://www.youtube.
The camera is facing south. All the food is moving to the right and only
pedestrians are going the other way. If the Dominican Republic is hell as
you say, then I guess people in hell must get really sick of everyone
telling them how lucky they are not to be in Haiti! Maybe hell has its worse
and worser parts, and heaven is the same way with nice and not-so-nice
neighborhoods.
I couldn't help but notice that the things you mentioned- food water
computers and electricity- are all gotten from our easy access to petroleum
here. We have chicken ham and beef, drinking water, working computers, and
reliable electricity because of it. Our medicines are actually made from it.
Once it becomes truly expensive in 10-20 years, all these things will
crumble or need to be rethought. (The DC actually looks much more prepared
for this than we are, until the sea rises and Hispaniola shrinks.) I already
have to ride a bike instead of driving a car, so I like to imagine that I
have an advantage over everyone else. Which is of course a load of bull.
Jason
On Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 7:13 AM, teresa fitzgerald <tfitzge134@yahoo.
> Hi Marc,
>
> When I go to see my mother in the Dominican Rep all my negative feelings go
> away and I feel my problems are no problems at all..
>
> There, the toilet is broken, there is not water.The feces accumulate and
> there is a bad smell. People have to walk a few miles to get two gallons of
> water. With those two gallons I have to wash my clothes, wash myself, drink,
> and flush the toilet.
> Sometimes you can not get food eventhough you have the money to buy it.
> Clothes are expensive and children wander around naked.
> There is not money to buy medicine so people used Santeria (witch craft)
> and herbs or plants for medicine.
> Children do not get present in their birthday or "los dias de Reyes" except
> the one that can afford them (a few).
> The transportation system is a disaster..
> I used to walk 4 or 5 hours to go from college to my house.
> It is very hot there and most of the electricty if unreliable, most of the
> time we do not have electricty.
> Mosquitos fills the cealing of the house and you have to sleep with
> "mosquiteros"
> And the trash accumulate in the streets, in some areas cats and dogs are
> most of the time killed to be eaten when food is not available.
> There is not law to protect women and children. Years ago I asked for my
> friend, somebody told me she got killed. There is not freedom of speech. If
> you say the wrong thing you can get in trouble...
>
> We are blessed to have food, water, computers, electricity and being able
> to have freedom.
> I feel blessed with the small things that I have because I have seen hell.
> I hope one day you have the chance to visit a poor country. You will feel
> blessed and thankful for the small things that we have and we do not
> appreciate..
>
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