JUSTICE WANTED/THE WAY WE THINK

I don’t have all the answers: In fact, I have mostly questions. When I was a little girl, I drove my father to distraction by asking him again and again, “DADDY, WHY?”


My father always had good answers, and when he didn’t know the answers, he knew how to go about finding them. He taught me how to do that. Later on, I learned that this art is called “research”. But there are so many questions for which classical research methods provide no satisfactory answers. Now that my father is no longer here to help me understand, I ask these questions in my own mind again and again. WHY ? WHY ?


For example, at the start of the 21st century, we see former U.S. president Bill Clinton playing the role of a Johnny-come-lately saviour of the oppressed. It’s never too late to do good. But when people speak of his record, he is remembered for the sordid tidbit with Monica Lewinsky.


1. Why don’t we remember that he lied and he lied and he lied? No one mentions that. I think it’s more important than his personal affairs. All powerful men are tempted because women are drawn to them and they can’t resist enjoying the goodies. That issue was between him and his wife. But he lied to the people who elected him and who depended on him and who paid his salary, and I can’t find any way to justify his bald-faced lies. Why lie unless you are afraid and/or power hungry? Was the White House that comfy?


2. Even more important is the fact that Bill Clinton deliberately turned his back on thousands of men, women and children while they were being slaughtered in Rwanda when he had the power to act. I can’t figure out how a man can live with himself knowing that he has the power to save innocent people from being butchered and he decides not to do anything about it. Why is it that no one talks about that? Why? When we fail to study history, we are doomed to repeat it.

3. And then I wonder how much we are influenced by the superficial. Our society is fixated on beauty. Would we think about Bill Clinton differently if he were a homely looking person? Are we moved too much by George W's or Stephen Harper's smiles and friendly waves? This might appear to be a trivial question in the light of the previous one, but, perhaps it is something we really need to think about. When we decide to vote for someone, are we looking at the person's character and his or her record, or are we swayed by the images they project with the help of their spin doctors? It's worth some serious consideration. When we cast one vote, we help to tilt the world.

Phyllis Carter
Victims' Voices

SO MANY QUESTIONS

Justice Wanted

As I watch news reports from around the world, I have so many questions:

Everyone talks about the problem of Mexican people crossing into the United States illegally to find work.

1. Why don’t the wealthy people of the world create jobs for the Mexicans IN Mexico?

2. Why is the Vatican still refusing to allow scholars access to the archives covering the reign of Pope Pius XII and World War II ?

If the secrets can be kept for a few more years, those who remember the Holocaust will not be able to tell, and those who don't remember the Holocaust, won't be interested in finding out.

3. Why is there almost no news coverage of the suffering of little girls forced into prostitution in Thailand and India - except on PBS?

4. Why are criminals entitled to so many "rights" under Canadian law, while police and elected members of government tell me that crime victims have no rights ?

Yes, I have so many questions. But I have such a small voice. Maybe things would get better if other people also started asking these questions out loud.

Phyllis Carter
Victims’ Voices

JUSTICE WANTED

My name is Phyllis Carter. I am what is called in polite society, a senior citizen. In fact, I am senior to many people because I have survived for quite a while, at times in danger and at times in life threatening circumstances. I am a citizen of Canada.

My purpose in creating a blog is to have a platform where I can voice my concerns and frustrations about many injustices which "the system" chooses to muffle, stifle, avoid or bury.

As I become accustomed to this new platform, I will be informing any and all who choose to enter here about what I have seen and heard and lived to tell.

My blog is called Justice Wanted - that is not just for myself but for all the innocents who have no voice.

Phyllis Carter
Victims' Voices
September 19, 2006