Officially a Government Worker

So Tim and I go to the second cycle school in our new village, and decide to chat with the English teacher there. It is the day before final exams, and the kids have something like field day in elementary school while the teachers sit around drinking tea and eating. The English teacher, Traore, asks Tim and I---- why are people in america always killing each other? Taken aback by this question, we let him continue... "I listen to the radio and I watch the tv everyday and America has so much crime and is killing people all over the world and each other. But why? Nobody kills in Mali or Europe. If I were to go to America, I would be afraid."

Crazy, right?

Tim and I, still in awe at the audacity of a claim like that sit and wonder where to begin-- Both of us feeling incredibly on the defensive. I start. It is very complicated, I say. It is very difficult to explain how America with such riches and seemingly happy people would have such high levels of crime. I think back to my criminology class and juvenile delinquincy with Rojek at UGA... I think about the UCR and about the victim crime report survey, and how yes--- levels of crime in the US are high. What the hell do I say to this guy? It would be unheard of for someone in a village to kill someone for money, Nike crosstrainers, or to rape---- it is ridiculously rare here. Ok, maybe not ridiculously, how about amazingly rare? They would sooner go without, and often do. I glance at Tim and realize he is thinking the same things.

I try to explain the large gap between the rich and the poor and how the middle class is shrinking and there was a recession, all excuses. I am trying to excuse the US's shortcomings on crime to a man who doesnt read about murders in the local paper, to a man whose life consists of such simplicity.... Not that I am complaining one way or another... it is just weird talking to someone with no real grasp of the claim he is making. I try to explain statistics, and how certain crime projections can be biased or based on spurious relationships. Then I realized that I was being an idiot, and resorted to the following:


America is great
American people are great
There are many things in america
American food is amazing
You should come to america; you would love it
The government helps you in America

And then i realzed.... I was then officially a government worker. A tool of propaganda.

Welcome to the Peace Corps.