[Groop]OT-Nigeria
Simon Passey
simon_passey@hotmail.com
Tue, 26 Nov 2002 12:20:55 +0000
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<P>I have to agree with you Gary that the whole idea of hosting the contest was to do with money.</P>
<P>The news reports in the UK were saying (before the rioting occurred) that Nigeria was holding the contest to show that it was a developed and civilised country (in Western terms, this is NOT to say that I agree with this idea) and as such would attract more investment from the banking sector. It was meant to show that Nigeria, with all its cultural diversity, would be able to host an event successfully, even if all its population did not agree with the event. They were expecting protests about the event but were hoping that they would be peaceful. Unfortunately, they did not anticipate the reactions that have occurred and the problems which will be around for the foreseeable future.</P>
<P>Regards<BR><BR>Simon</P>
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<DIV></DIV>>From: "Gary Grossmann" <GROSSFAM@OLYWA.NET>
<DIV></DIV>>To: "Larry Steller" <MRGROOISM@YAHOO.COM>, "Groop" <GROOP@GROO.COM>
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: [Groop]OT-Nigeria
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2002 21:32:01 -0800
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>I'm sure it was money, Larry. It's almost always money. The pageant
<DIV></DIV>>committee didn't just wake up one day and decide to hold the thing in
<DIV></DIV>>Nigeria. Some business person or group in Nigeria bid for or paid for or in
<DIV></DIV>>some other way enticed the pageant to come to Nigeria.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>Intolerance of other ideas, religions, people, whatever has been used as an
<DIV></DIV>>excuse to kill people for 1000's of years with unfortunately no end in
<DIV></DIV>>sight. And religious intolerance is the most insidious because it allows
<DIV></DIV>>people to claim they have no choice because they are doing God's will.
<DIV></DIV>>That's why secular republics have the best chance of keeping intolerance
<DIV></DIV>>under control or at least ultimately effecting some change.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>But it's no guarentee. It's been less than 50 years in this country since
<DIV></DIV>>it was perfectly acceptable in some parts of the country to kill black
<DIV></DIV>>people who "didn't know their place" and racisim is still pervasive
<DIV></DIV>>throughout the country in various forms. It's been only a few more years
<DIV></DIV>>since the whole world turned the other way while Hitler exterminated half
<DIV></DIV>>the Jews on the planet. (World War II was not fought to save the Jews.
<DIV></DIV>>That was an unintended by product.) And don't think for a minute that Jerry
<DIV></DIV>>Falwell and Pat Robertson wouldn't lock up every gay person in the country
<DIV></DIV>>if they were in charge. And now there's a slice of the population that
<DIV></DIV>>thinks they have an excuse to hate all arabs and/or Moslems.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>So while the combination of stupidity and intolerance that lead to 200
<DIV></DIV>>deaths in Nigeria was horrible and should be condemned, Americans need to
<DIV></DIV>>spend more energy doing everything they can to keep their own house in order
<DIV></DIV>>and not let our own intolerance, misunderstanding, and fear lead us to doing
<DIV></DIV>>things as a nation that our children and grand children will be ashamed of.
<DIV></DIV>>Uncharacteristically yours, -Gary G.
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>----- Original Message -----
<DIV></DIV>>From: "Larry Steller" <MRGROOISM@YAHOO.COM>
<DIV></DIV>>To: "Groop" <GROOP@GROO.COM>
<DIV></DIV>>Sent: Sunday, November 24, 2002 8:22 PM
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: RE: [Groop]OT-Nigeria
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>> > At least "the show must go on" policy has been
<DIV></DIV>> > reversed, and the pageant is moving to London. What
<DIV></DIV>> > were they thinking when they initially vowed to
<DIV></DIV>> > continue the show in Nigeria after the riots? The
<DIV></DIV>> > latest reports say the rioting claimed over 200 lives.
<DIV></DIV>> > 200 human lives, gone, all because of gross
<DIV></DIV>> > intolerance on both sides!
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > =====
<DIV></DIV>> > -------------------------------
<DIV></DIV>> > -Larry "Mr. Grooism" Steller
<DIV></DIV>> >
<DIV></DIV>> > __________________________________________________
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