"Ignorance is the Enemy"

“Ignorance is the Enemy”

Vocabulary list:
mandate - 1) an order or command 2) [Historical] a) a League of Nations commission to a country to administer some region b) this region 3) the will of voters as expressed in an election.
berms - 1) a ledge 2) a shoulder, as of along the edge of a paved road.
intrepid - bold; fearless; brave.
incongruously - 1) lacking harmony or agreement of parts, etc. 2) inappropriate.
sequestered - 1) to set off or apart 2) to withdraw; isolate.
escarpments - a steep slope or cliff.
limning - 1) to paint or draw 2) to describe.
litany - a series of fixed invocations and responses, used as a prayer.

"These horrible hate letters are a mandate for you to get out and tell Americans what you know about Muslims. You represent the goodness and courage that America is all about. Get out, don't be afraid, and spread your message for peace. Make this your finest hour" (Collins 280).

"Everywhere we went, we saw U.S. planes and helicopters. And I can only imagine the money we were spending on our military," Julia Bergmen says. "But where was the aid? I'd heard so much about what America promised Afghanistan's people while I was at home - how re-building the country was one of our top priorities. But being there, and seeing so little evidence of help for Afghanistan's children, particularly from the United States, was really embarrassing and frustrating for me" (Bergmen 288).

"He told me that less than a quarter of the aid money President Bush had promised his country had actually arrived in Afghanistan. And of those insufficient funds, he said that $680 million had been 'redirected,' to build runways and bulk up supply depots in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar for the invasion of Iraq everyone expected would soon begin" (Mortenson 290).

Oh my God, the searing rage that has risen as I have completed the reading of this magnificent, historical account of our oh-so real current events! The knowledge that Greg has been able to share, as a man who can share such a special view of another world with us, is a gift and I am grateful. There is a feeling of helplessness and where do I begin to help or to change things. However, the first step has occurred. Knowing our part and understanding where our government, and we as a country, falls short is the first step towards changing anything. This story has opened my eyes to who exactly has felt the effects of our bombs and our war. The comradeship that Americans felt on 9/11 is evidence of the love and loyalty we as a nation feel for one another, especially when facing such great tribulations. How we have responded as a people leaves much to be desired and it moves me to think that we could possibly feel that comradeship for our human nation. For those people all around the globe that breath and live and hope and love the same as we do. So, although I have gotten angry at the facts that I have read, I end this book on a hopeful note, that the more we know the more we can change for the better. Which is what providing schools and education, as Greg Mortenson is doing, does for others.