Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Because we've seen the extremes in far-away lands, we can better understand
the consequences of continued neglect in our own community.
After a thought-provoking trip, I consume news dif erently. Since I've
wandered through war debris with Alen in Mostar, news footage of any city
being devastated by bombs suddenly aches with humanity. My memories of
friends stif with shrapnel, and former parks i lled with tombstones, push
me toward pacii sm. During times of saber-rattling, I l y a peace l ag from
my oi ce building. A neighbor once asked if I knew how much business I've
lost by l ying that l ag. Because of what I've learned about the human costs
of war in places such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, El Salvador, and Iran, it hadn't
Even when this Afghan girl and her mother can no longer see me, I live my life at home
knowing the world is watching.
occurred to me to measure the economic costs to my business of speaking out
for peace. In fact, it's hard for me to understand how someone could support
a war they didn't believe in because it was good for their business.
Mark Twain wrote, “ Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-
mindedness.” h ese wise words can be a rallying cry for all travelers once
comfortably back home. When courageous leaders in our community com-
bat small-mindedness and ignorance—whether pastors contending with
homophobia in their congregations, employers striving to make a workplace
color-blind, or teachers standing up for intellectual and creative freedoms—
travelers can stand with them in solidarity.
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