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Masai say sorry with cows for September 11
The New York Times via SMH ^
| June 4 2002
| By Marc Lacey in Enoosaen, Kenya
Posted on 06/03/2002 9:08:22 AM PDT by dead
click here to read article
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1
posted on
06/03/2002 9:08:22 AM PDT
by
dead
To: dead
"Say it with cows."
A moooving choice. ;^)
To: headsonpikes
Well, at least they're steering in the right direction.
3
posted on
06/03/2002 9:18:16 AM PDT
by
techcor
To: dead
Sorry to hear we gave the Television.
Their culture will be gone in 5 years.
4
posted on
06/03/2002 9:19:11 AM PDT
by
eFudd
To: dead
when I read this story, i immediately thought of Nisbet's conservative opus "the quest for community". a great book that looks at the values of communities like the one in Masai and the spirit of selflessness that surrounds them. It would be nice to have a few more towns like that here.
5
posted on
06/03/2002 9:20:54 AM PDT
by
EBurkefan
To: dead
We should remember our friends in Africa if they should need some assistance due to drought and poor harvest.
To: eFudd
Sorry to hear we gave the Television. Haven't you heard, Bob Johnson from BET wants to "wire" all of Africa. Of course, he wants the franchise.....that's why he went with Clinton to Africa.
My husband and I wondered if we shouldn't wire them for electricity first.
7
posted on
06/03/2002 9:27:52 AM PDT
by
Howlin
To: EBurkefan
More than a few.
8
posted on
06/03/2002 9:28:26 AM PDT
by
Howlin
To: dead
How "udderly bovine".
9
posted on
06/03/2002 9:30:36 AM PDT
by
DKNY
To: dead
That's really touching. I wonder if we could prevail upon GW to accept this gift on behalf of his countrymen and place them on his ranch?
Or just fence off the Rose Garden!
10
posted on
06/03/2002 9:38:41 AM PDT
by
5by5
To: dead
More of value in one Masai tribesman than in the entire "nation" of "Saudi Arabia".
To: 5by5
I don't know if he could do that or donate them to some petting zoo or something.
I do think that William Brencick, the deputy chief of the Nairobi mission, could use a few more lessons in diplomacy.
Even if we're not going to fly the cows to America, he doesn't really need to announce that our government will immediately liquidate this heartfelt gift into a more mobile commodity. Show a little tact, Billy.
12
posted on
06/03/2002 9:51:16 AM PDT
by
dead
To: dead
"he doesn't really need to announce that our government will immediately liquidate this heartfelt gift into a more mobile commodity" good point...the cows obviously mean a little more to the Masai than thier market value translated into jewelry. maybe we should have just made hamburger patties and sent them to McDonalds.
To: dead
here is an article with more information about the Masai's reaction. I particularly like the last quote about killing bin laden...
14
posted on
06/03/2002 11:03:43 AM PDT
by
I_Stern
To: dead
Masai say sorry with cows for September 11
This is a bit of a paraphrase, but Victor Davis Hanson (writes for National Review)
basically says that people who work the land have much more moral clarity than college professors.
15
posted on
06/03/2002 11:09:32 AM PDT
by
VOA
To: dead
I do think that William Brencick, the deputy chief of the Nairobi mission, could use a few more lessons in diplomacy. Even if we're not going to fly the cows to America, he doesn't really need to announce that our government will immediately liquidate this heartfelt gift into a more mobile commodity. Show a little tact, Billy.
Actually, that's a little unfair.
There's a much better version of the story at the BBC's website here. Included in that version is the following:
'Expression of regard' The US national anthem played as the herdsmen handed over the cattle.
"I know that for the Masai people the cow is valued above all possessions and that the gift of a cow is the highest expression of regard and sympathy," Mr Brancick said.
"When we count the value of these cows, and when we add the value of the great spirits that gave them, we can say without doubt that you seem richer still."
The cattle will not be taken to America but will be sold at a local market and the proceeds used to buy beads.
Masai women will then fashion traditional beadwork with commemorative messages, including perhaps the Stars and Stripes of the US flag.
The Masai craftwork will then be handed over to the people of New York for display in the city.
It's a win-win-win situation.
The warrior spirit of the Masai is assuaged .. they could not fight, directly, in the war against terror but their gift will (indirectly) raise the morale of New Yorkers.
The US gets not only the symbolic value of the gift of cows, but also the tangible gift of the beadwork.
And the Masai women (and hence all villagers) get the payment made to them for their beadwork - all at no cost to the US taxpayer.
It strikes me that this was a classic, textbook example of diplomacy in action.
Don't diss your diplomats .. they have come a _very_ long way since "The Ugly American".
Regards
Sadim
To: sadimgnik
Thanks for filling me in! That's much better.
I'm glad we were more gracious than the article I posted led me to believe.
Kudos to William Brencick.
17
posted on
06/03/2002 6:30:34 PM PDT
by
dead
To: RightWhale
We should remember our friends in Africa if they should need some assistance due to drought and poor harvest.Its good to see such a simple culture I'd much rather have the Masai for friends than the French.
18
posted on
06/03/2002 6:50:52 PM PDT
by
pfflier
To: dead
Well..............all I can say to these wonderful people is "God bless you, and bless you abundantly" for their incredibly generous spirit.
Ladies and gents, those 14 cows represented FAR more of their gross material wealth than if one of our cities raised a few million and sent it their way.
To: dead
"And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had."Parable of the Widow's Mite
Gospel of Luke 21, verses 1-4
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