Happy 4th!

What is your problem?

*no need to feed the troll*

You've posted 7 times in the last 2 months, all perfectly normal posts. I'd be interested in knowing what went wrong for you on STT?

I have no interest in what they have to say. To make a post like that you're just a horribly nasty excuse for a human being, and I personnally have no interest in what they have to say. To wish death to that many people you need help.

The lead post ignored...... we had a wonderful 4th of July here in OH, our last one as we turn towards our move.

By coincidence yesterday we had 3 Peruvian businesswomen as guests at our family 4th of July celebration.
They are touring the USA to learn how small businesses in Peru can modernize their specialty food production in order to reach a global market. Long story how they came to be at our party, but here's the gist of the story I'd like to leave with you:

They took a 12 hour bus ride from NYC to get here, and when I said "that must have been hard" they responded, "Not at all, we see more of your beautiful green country, and the bus was better and more comfortable than any bus in Peru!" They expressed a deep affection for the US, for what it stands for, for the freedom we have -that they are only beginning to experience in their own country. They marveled how wealthy even the average Americans were compared with those in their country.

I was struck by their reasons for wanting to be in business, and their desire to come all this way to learn and make contacts. Yes, they said, they wanted to bring a better life to their families. But also to the families of the men and women who work with them in their business, and be part of something greater that's happening in Peru... the transformation of an entire country that has been mired in poverty for centuries. And they began to tell me about all the things that needed attention in Peru.

They are part of the emerging "Fair Trade" movement in Peru and this country... a way of doing business that rewards the workers as well as the owners and investors.

Their selfless passion was so genuine it was inspiring. And the fact that they eagerly looked to America and Americans for help, -was humbling.

So it was a very good Fourth of July for me.

Thank you for sharing that story, Neil. With every news headline telling us how awful life is with the looming recession and foreclosure crisis, sometimes we need the reminder about how lucky we are to be US citizens.

Neil thank you for sharing that story. It is very touching. I always remind my children that July 4th does not symbolize fireworks and hotdogs, but is a day that we should be thankful for our freedom. Even with all the problems the United States has right now there are few places in the world that enjoy the freedoms we have and the opportunities. This hit home with me last week when my Haitian friend was sharing with me. That his father was "good enough" to "pay" for his school when he was young, because his father liked him. And, that from beyond 8th grade he would work building furniture in order to pay for his own school. He managed to complete the 12th grade. I thought to myself wow there is a place not so far from here, not somewhere half way around the world, where children are not guaranteed a basic education. I just made me very thankful for where I grew up and where I live.

Nat

"I thought to myself wow there is a place not so far from here, not somewhere half way around the world, where children are not guaranteed a basic education"

That place could very well be anywhere in the USVI. Of course not on the level of Haiti, but just a thought...

DL...WHAT???????????????

The children of the USVI have a right to a "basic" education, so I'm not sure what you mean.

Sorry I was skim reading and didn't notice the word "basic" at first. I was saying that given the conditions in the public school system, the children of the USVI are not guaranteed a proper education.

hey Neil when i was stuck in omaha this past summer i worked with a man from peru that had won their immigration to the usa lottery and he was one of the happiest guys i met there.

I still take that as an insult. Have you ever attended public school here? What are you basing your "proper education" statement on?

Thanks Neil for turning mud into peaches and cream! We do have much for which to be thankful.

And as for the (public) educational system here, I have not passed through it, but it has its challenges like many others. In spite of them, the USVI churns out some awesome students and has at its disposal many dedicated teachers who use often their own funds to enhance the learning experience. I wish that it was better, but in New York where I was educated, the system I was obliged to be a part of was not the best either.

Still, I learned by my own natural curiosity in a home environment that did little to encourage scholastic achievement, and through the strength of some awesome instructors. I have always thought it unreal that we pay people huge amounts of money for how they look on television, for example, yet teachers are always having to fight for wages that are commensurate with their crucial role in the development of children.

I do not have any children, in case anyone wonders. Not a gripe, but an observation... my .02