So when are we, as individuals, held accountable? When do we hold ourselves accountable? While the news of African children and the cocoa industry is news to me, the information about the diamond industry is not. This is well-known information. And yet we, as a society, choose not to change it. Not only that, we allow the injustice to continue. And isn't that where the evil lies? "When good men do nothing"? It's one thing to plead ignorant, but once you do know, and yet continue to bolster and support and industry that you know causes great harm to innocent people...isn't it right THERE that we, as individuals and as a society accountable? In my opinion, yes. If you know the information, and you realize you are part of the problem and not the solution, you are accountable. It's not a comfortable place to be. I would imagine this is kind of what white people in this generation feel like when blacks talk about the injustices we historically and currently face. We know it's wrong. We don't like it. But the power of privilege, the shine, status, and symbol of that rock is SO strong that we are willing to turn that moment of acknowledgement and guilt into resentment and justification...rationalization. It's an ugly truth, about the diamond industry and me that I can barely swallow. [...]
| Go back for the rest of Shasta McNasty's " Aloha"
posted in weblogs on February 17, 2005 3:50 AM | t (0)
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