None of the above

As I sit in a posh air-conditioned room at the US Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia's capital city, I ponder how my perceptions have changed these past three months. The UN reminds me of home where we live in airconditioned comforte free from the dust and out hot sweating bodies. It reminds me of the privileged life we lead in America where most everyone that wants a job, has one; where everyone has at least a high school diploma and so many have college degrees; where we eat at least three means a day; where we all drive nice new cars on smoothly paved highways; where our clothes are stylish, clean, and lovely; where women are generally treated as equals to men; where we have excellent medical care and state of the art hospitals; where most people own their own homes that contain many rooms and are beautifully furnished. Need I go on? Here in Liberia the people have NONE OF THE ABOVE! No airconditioning in this oppressive heat where our bodies sweat 24 hours. There are virtually no jobs with an 85% unemployment rate. The illiteracy rate is 65% and the rest of the people are lucky if they have a 6th grade education. Most people consider themselves fortunate if they can eat one meal a day. Virtually no one owns a car here, although some NGOs, churches, and governement officials have one. More later....