The spread of misinformation, especially across the Arab world as citizens' views grow farther and farther away from their governments', is probably the most frightening thing facing humanity right now. People who make no effort to understand the other side of things, who accept an opinion as fact because they know no other opinion, or who use misinformation for political or personal gain are not worthy of making the decisions that actually affect those personally involved.
This doesn't just apply to the Middle East. It applies to all advocates of a cause, whether you're dealing with building a mosque near the site of the World Trade Center or trying to clean up the disastrous spill in the Gulf. Facts can be so easily twisted, especially with so much information available to those with power in their hands while only selected news is made available to those less well-off. It's our responsibility as human beings to try to sift through the rubbish and determine what is fair and what is not.
On a brighter note, today some AUC students and I played a game where you put your hands on the table in a weave pattern and go in a circle hitting the table once each time. Someone can tap the table twice, and it reverses. If you tap the wrong hand out of turn, you have to do a dare. Some of the best ones involved asking the McDonald's manager for some free food, pretending to be an ice climber on the ground in front of people eating dinner, and skipping around the patio singing "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story. It's things like this that make you realize you actually have a lot in common with those who may not share your political or social views.
I had my first Egyptology class today, Art and Architecture of Ancient Egypt. Sadly it doesn't cover the New Kingdom at all (Ramesses and such), but there are field trips so it should be fun. My other option is to take a Cultural Geography class on Ancient Egypt that covers from prehistory to Roman rule. Both professors are awesome and really know their stuff, as you'd hope from any Egyptology professor in Egypt itself.
Speaking of Egyptology, I found this video of me from awhile back. Enjoy.
SO THAT VIDEO WAS LIKE, the MOST ADORABLE THING ever! :)
ReplyDeleteAlso I'm so happy you're having a ton of fun in Egypt! Your post was very well-written, and the things you said makes a lot of sense. It's also especially important for us these days to remember what keeps us together when so many forces around the world are trying to pull people apart, you know? Thanks for pointing that out, and excellent writing as always!