Burlington Free Press
December 20, 2007
Turning personal action
into government policy
Letters To The Editor
I'm responding to Dan Ukolwitz's excellent letter
("Fighting terrorism, poverty with
education," Dec.11) about the book "Three Cups of Tea."
My nephew gave me this book. He thinks I am a mouth-breathing neo-con, I
believe those are almost exactly his words, and I believe he is a bleeding
heart liberal with no real concept of the world beyond a few selected Web
sites. Of course we are both wrong. About this book, I believe we totally
agree.
Since I read "Three cups of tea" in the late summer, I have wondered
over and over about how author Greg Mortenson's
undoubted success could be translated into governmental policy. I almost don't
think it can be.
Mortenson's first in-depth encounter with the people
of Korphe was when they literally saved his life and
nursed him back to health. When he plotted to build his first school for the
people of Korphe it was from a deep sense of
gratitude for his life and for the awakening that had happened within him. How
do you convert that kind of humility into government policy?
Mortenson also taught himself the regional Pakistani
language, learned how to do the proper Muslim prayers in the proper regions,
ate and drank what was offered, which included a lot of tea, and insisted that
the work of building the schools be completed by each village.
How can government policy duplicate any of the above.
Somewhere that has to be figured out because wherever there is a need for food
and for schools, in this New World the medrassa type
hate schools will move in.
Wouldn't it be great to sit in on discussions driven by "Three Cups of
Tea" around the world? Everybody should read this book.
GEORGE BOOMHOWER
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