This is just something that I can't get past.
Today I caught one question on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. And this was the question:
"What African country is 'Darfur' located in?"
The countries were:
Somalia
Sudan
Kenya
South Africa
AND THE LADY HAD NO IDEA!!!!!
I understand that some people don't know their African geography as well as the rest of us. But seriously.
Darfur...Darfur is probably the most publicized African place right now because of the heinous genocide happenings. If you don't know Darfur, then you certainly don't know Addis Ababa, Ethiopia or Freetown, Sierra Leone (for example).
So what did the contestant do? Phoned a friend. Who was her friend? Her dad. When her dad came on the phone she gave him the question and said, "I'm pretty sure it's in Northwest Africa"......um, no, not so much.
What did her dad say?
That he was 100% positive it was SOMALIA.
Seriously.
Totally played into the stereotype that Americans care only about what's happening here and in our very own backyards. That domestic adoption is the most respectable and obvious and sensical and international adoption is throwing the life raft to the "wrong" people.
I realize it was just a silly game show but it represents so much more to me. Africa is so much bigger to me than "that nation over there". Those countries don't run together for me the way they do some. One of those countries gave me one of the best gifts of my entire life and each of those countries holds millions of children like Tariku.
And Darfur, well the Tariku's of Darfur are being slaughtered and a woman on a game show that is ALL ABOUT TRIVIA has no idea.
Flippin' ticks me off.
And 24,000,000 cyber dollars to those of you who can name which country Darfur is in.
I'm no writer, I assure you. Just a woman with a few things on her mind. A mom that makes mistakes, a wife that loves her husband more than words can say and a woman constantly seeing God in the everyday.
7 comments:
Blech - and you nailed it on the head talking about domestic adoption vs international (as if there should be a vs) and why domestic is better.
Sudan.
And I also know what's happening in Somalia and Kenya and South Africa too.
Check out www.beawitness.org. It's crazy how much the media has talked about Tom Cruise and how little they have covered Darfur.
seriously.
makes me mad too.
had a conversation tonight with my kids about us americans....
(and duh, Sudan--kind of like Iowa and Illinois, right next door)
And may YOU, Tesi, be blessed with the anguish in your heart that God has placed there so more of us Americans understand that America MUST come to the knowledge and awareness that we need to extend our hearts, our hands, and our homes to help and serve those children of God who need our love and prayers. I wonder if I would know that Darfur was in Sudan, Africa had you not adopted our precious grandbaby Tariku! May God continue to work in your heart giving you courage, deepening your faith, and the great love you have for others created in God's image. I love you!
It's in Sudan.
obviously sudan. But I'm heading ot Zimbabwe and 24,000,000 cyber dollars won't get us far...
Wow! This is shocking and very sad to say the least. This upsets me as well.
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