anarchist_nomad: (Guess who?)
( Aug. 25th, 2004 11:26 pm)
Our central campus here in Malargue -- paid for by a one million dollar grant to the University of Chicago -- is surrounded by a barbed wire fence. I just noticed the fence tonight, though I was already well aware that the doors require special key cards to enter our building and there is always a security person on guard.

This bothers me. Having such a beautiful building on such beautiful grounds -- formerly a tree nursery -- gated off from everyone else only drives home our position of priviledge in this third world nation.

Supposedly, we are well loved in this community. People ask for our autographs (I'm told). We march in the annual Malargue Day parade. Local politicians (blech) give speeches at our collaboration meeting dinners. Yet we need a gate and a barbed wire fence to protect ourselves from that community.

No, I really don't like this. When I worked in Japan, our Kenkyutou (Japanese for "research building") was in a tiny village called Mozumi, where the residents were not wealthy. Yet our only real security was an electronically locking door (requiring a four digit passcode to enter) that was only locked at night. No gate, no barbed wire, no security guard. That was nice... I'd like to feel a little less secure here.

I need to come to terms about what it means to be one of the priviledged in a third world nation. I've thought a lot over the years about my position of priviledge in the USA, having a wealthy father, but this is a whole new level...
anarchist_nomad: (Guess who?)
( Aug. 25th, 2004 11:26 pm)
Our central campus here in Malargue -- paid for by a one million dollar grant to the University of Chicago -- is surrounded by a barbed wire fence. I just noticed the fence tonight, though I was already well aware that the doors require special key cards to enter our building and there is always a security person on guard.

This bothers me. Having such a beautiful building on such beautiful grounds -- formerly a tree nursery -- gated off from everyone else only drives home our position of priviledge in this third world nation.

Supposedly, we are well loved in this community. People ask for our autographs (I'm told). We march in the annual Malargue Day parade. Local politicians (blech) give speeches at our collaboration meeting dinners. Yet we need a gate and a barbed wire fence to protect ourselves from that community.

No, I really don't like this. When I worked in Japan, our Kenkyutou (Japanese for "research building") was in a tiny village called Mozumi, where the residents were not wealthy. Yet our only real security was an electronically locking door (requiring a four digit passcode to enter) that was only locked at night. No gate, no barbed wire, no security guard. That was nice... I'd like to feel a little less secure here.

I need to come to terms about what it means to be one of the priviledged in a third world nation. I've thought a lot over the years about my position of priviledge in the USA, having a wealthy father, but this is a whole new level...
.

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