Christmas Obliterated
This was supposed to be a blog about Christmas. About the wonderful Christmas Eve party that lasted until 4:30am and the great gift swap that ended with my winding up with a candy cane and a condom. About the joy of being with friends who helped ease the pain of being away from family. About dressing as Santa and the Mrs. and visiting an orphanage as part of the Toys For Tots campaign and how wonderful and happy the children were and how much fun it was to dance with them. But it isn't. Events have overtaken the Christmas spirit. There is a picture at the end of this blog. Don't look at it if charred bodies make you ill. That's what this is about. People desperate enough to tap into a pipeline and blow up themselves and hundreds of other people as well as homes and businesses. This is about a country that is so corrupt that all the wealth of oil lines the pockets of politicians. The people kidnap oil workers, sabotage the production facilities, destroy the environment trying to get to the oil, and are unwilling or unable to work together to better their country.
On December 26 a pipeline in the city of Lagos was broken into. The vandals got what they wanted and ran. The oil flowed from the broken pipeline into the middle of the city and the people rejoiced. They thought God had given them a "Christmas bonus" and brought fuel to them. They leaped into the flow with cans, cups, bottles, anything and everything that they could carry the fuel in. And then, somehow, it exploded. The body count, as reported by the Nigerian newspapers, is over 700. Homes and businesses were destroyed. The homes may have been shanties at best and the businesses no more than a table on the side of the road but they were a beginning, a hope for the country. I believe that if you are stupid enough to break into a pipeline then you get what is coming to you. I believe that of all criminals. But innocent people, desperate people were led like sheep to their horrible, flaming deaths. That should carry the penalty of eternal damnation.
We are blessed not to have to seen the devastation up close. We couldn't smell the burning or hear the screaming. We could see the flames and the smoke from our flat. The papers are full of the pictures (like the one below) and there is nothing we can do about what is going on. We can't spend enough money (it's an oil rich country - everyone should be swimming in money) to ease the suffering, we can't tell them how to run the country (ok we can but all we can do is advise), and we can't allow ourselves to fall into the trap of pity. The politicians only get richer if we do and then everyone loses, including us. This country needs to take control of itself and follow through on the the hard work of those willing to make things better for themselves and their families. But today, say a prayer for those who were so desperate that they risked their lives to get a little fuel to cook with or to heat water with and lost. As bad as it is here, they had hope. May the survivors find that hope and continue to grow and improve the country - no matter how slowly.
This is also about the crime that sweeps through 3rd world countries at this time of year. We hear gunfire both during the day and at night, we have seen two shootings (for crap's sake we were dressed as the Claus' and a guy used our vehicle for cover!) and our friends were carjacked. Poor people steal from poor people, people die from random violence and the fear is a living thing. It would be nice to say that we can fix this; that the 1st world can pour enough money and aid into these countries to make them whole and healthy but that won't work. Who supervises? Who is accountable? Who has the patience to work for 100 or more years to change the minds and hearts of people who know nothing else? We can't sustain the work needed. We need to understand, like parents, that 'children' must learn some lessons for themselves. We can watch and guide and offer some assistance on occasion but overall, we show them by example and protect ourselves from the fallout. This is an age-old problem. Man is cruel to man given the chance.
On December 26 a pipeline in the city of Lagos was broken into. The vandals got what they wanted and ran. The oil flowed from the broken pipeline into the middle of the city and the people rejoiced. They thought God had given them a "Christmas bonus" and brought fuel to them. They leaped into the flow with cans, cups, bottles, anything and everything that they could carry the fuel in. And then, somehow, it exploded. The body count, as reported by the Nigerian newspapers, is over 700. Homes and businesses were destroyed. The homes may have been shanties at best and the businesses no more than a table on the side of the road but they were a beginning, a hope for the country. I believe that if you are stupid enough to break into a pipeline then you get what is coming to you. I believe that of all criminals. But innocent people, desperate people were led like sheep to their horrible, flaming deaths. That should carry the penalty of eternal damnation.
We are blessed not to have to seen the devastation up close. We couldn't smell the burning or hear the screaming. We could see the flames and the smoke from our flat. The papers are full of the pictures (like the one below) and there is nothing we can do about what is going on. We can't spend enough money (it's an oil rich country - everyone should be swimming in money) to ease the suffering, we can't tell them how to run the country (ok we can but all we can do is advise), and we can't allow ourselves to fall into the trap of pity. The politicians only get richer if we do and then everyone loses, including us. This country needs to take control of itself and follow through on the the hard work of those willing to make things better for themselves and their families. But today, say a prayer for those who were so desperate that they risked their lives to get a little fuel to cook with or to heat water with and lost. As bad as it is here, they had hope. May the survivors find that hope and continue to grow and improve the country - no matter how slowly.
This is also about the crime that sweeps through 3rd world countries at this time of year. We hear gunfire both during the day and at night, we have seen two shootings (for crap's sake we were dressed as the Claus' and a guy used our vehicle for cover!) and our friends were carjacked. Poor people steal from poor people, people die from random violence and the fear is a living thing. It would be nice to say that we can fix this; that the 1st world can pour enough money and aid into these countries to make them whole and healthy but that won't work. Who supervises? Who is accountable? Who has the patience to work for 100 or more years to change the minds and hearts of people who know nothing else? We can't sustain the work needed. We need to understand, like parents, that 'children' must learn some lessons for themselves. We can watch and guide and offer some assistance on occasion but overall, we show them by example and protect ourselves from the fallout. This is an age-old problem. Man is cruel to man given the chance.
Comments