Political versus civil violence - ghosts of the African night
This morning I went out to the farmer's market and left Frost (5) at home with Daddy (30) asleep. As always I told Frost not to open the door for anyone without waking Josh.
Frost asked: "What, do you think there are robbers?"
Me: "I don't know. I just want you to ask Daddy even if you know who it is"
Frost: "Have you ever had a robber come to your house?"
Me: "Yes, in South AFrica"
Frost: "What did they steal?"
Me: My camera, some money, a bag and some other things. [note: We had inumerable things stolen during my childhood]
Frost: "So, do you think that those robbers could come across the sea and find our house? It would take them SEVEN YEARS to find our house."
Me: "There might be other robbers in America"
Frost: "But the robbers don't know our house!"
Apparently I have failed to instill the required STRANGER DANGER terror in Frost. Now, when I was 5 living in South Africa we had already had burglaries and I am sure I knew the pervasive anxiety of "being careful locking things".
I just saw this BBC World article on violence in South Africa. Apparently things have not changed, or have worsened in terms of civil violence versus political violence.
According to BBC News:
Every day, more than 300 murders and violent attacks take place in South Africa, making it one of the three most dangerous countries on earth.
It is so different in Seattle. In Seattle:
Damn, I still miss the place but I am glad I'm not bringing up kids there. Glad I can have such a conversation with Frost who doesn't really believe in Robbers.
Frost asked: "What, do you think there are robbers?"
Me: "I don't know. I just want you to ask Daddy even if you know who it is"
Frost: "Have you ever had a robber come to your house?"
Me: "Yes, in South AFrica"
Frost: "What did they steal?"
Me: My camera, some money, a bag and some other things. [note: We had inumerable things stolen during my childhood]
Frost: "So, do you think that those robbers could come across the sea and find our house? It would take them SEVEN YEARS to find our house."
Me: "There might be other robbers in America"
Frost: "But the robbers don't know our house!"
Apparently I have failed to instill the required STRANGER DANGER terror in Frost. Now, when I was 5 living in South Africa we had already had burglaries and I am sure I knew the pervasive anxiety of "being careful locking things".
I just saw this BBC World article on violence in South Africa. Apparently things have not changed, or have worsened in terms of civil violence versus political violence.
According to BBC News:
Every day, more than 300 murders and violent attacks take place in South Africa, making it one of the three most dangerous countries on earth.
It is so different in Seattle. In Seattle:
- I am not afraid to drive with the windows open
- or to sleep when I hear a thump (its that racoon again) and
- we don't have deadbolts or rapid response armed security and
- we don't have a fence with razor wire or wall or huge hedge or
- an armed automatic gate (you would never get out of your car to open the gate at night).
- I can leave my purse on the passenger seat withotu people saying "you are asking for it" and
- I don't have any friends (I know of) who have been raped or murdered.
Damn, I still miss the place but I am glad I'm not bringing up kids there. Glad I can have such a conversation with Frost who doesn't really believe in Robbers.