I believe so. On Jul 6, 6:10 am, Lewis Mehl-Madrona <mehlmadr...@gmail.com> wrote: > Excellent post. I'm not sure why you need to be moderated. That's > not so for anyone else. Is your gmail address the one that's > registered with google mail? > > Lewis > > On Jul 5, 5:49 pm, Benjamin Chaucer <benchau...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Culture plays an immense and important role in the treatment that > > individuals receive in VT. Not only in the field of medicine but in > > all aspects of society. Vermont’s cultural differences are many, yet > > may remain subtle to the outsider. VT has back woods types, city > > slickers, down and outs, hippies (of which there is a spectrum all of > > its own.) down to earths, Seasonal workers, Native Americans, > > transplants and families who have been here since the separation of > > Pangaea. I have worked for several years in social services and found > > the youth who find themselves in such care to be a culture of their > > own, indicative more of the modern isolation and grief that has come > > from globalization. The youth that I have dealt with are justifiably > > angry, having been discarded by their family and community and left in > > the wilderness of adolescence to fend for themselves. I have met and > > talked with at length many Vermonters who have lived here their whole > > life, born in the house they still inhabit, the house that their > > parents were born in, and their parents before them. This group of > > the Vermont culture has maple syrup for blood, wood smoke for cologne > > and no matter how cold it may be; to them it’s never cold enough. > > There are transplants, those who have traveled here like my own > > parents, still smelling oddly of another place, somewhere not so > > distant, yet not so close. On the breath of transplants, words and > > thoughts are muttered that somehow stray from the rotting leaves and > > mountains of this land. The Natives have stories of this place, > > devoid of the boundaries that we were silly enough to make up. The > > ignorance and arrogance of appearance lie somewhere distant from their > > speech and in conversation I often forget the odd notion of separation > > from the land on which I was born. And there is of course the > > Jamaicans’ who come every summer to work masterfully picking the > > fields and orchards, swearing that VT is just like Jamaica, for three > > months of the year. I have seen, and dealt with Vermont’s diversity > > my whole life, always a strong opponent to anyone who would say that > > VT has no culture. > > The daily interactions within the diverse communities of VT are for > > the most part handles with grace and a fair share of northern > > comfort. We know, for example that anyone outside in the winter may > > die, and as such, would never refuse someone in need a bed. There are > > however undertones of intolerance that flare up in certain > > situations. I have noticed large rifts between the educational > > communities and the local tradesmen. There is arrogance in my mind on > > the part of many highly educated individuals that they are more > > sophisticated than their hard working counterparts. This logic is > > proven flawed to anyone who has ever needed anything, other than a > > book report. Among the tradesman, there is a sense that the > > educational community is worthless, and would know shit from shiasta > > if it smacked them in the face. In medical settings it seems that the > > western education trains people well in dealing with trauma and lack > > in training people to deal with diversity. I have seen people receive > > scornful looks and frustration because of their vocabulary or dress. > > This type of behavior stems from fear of differences, the very > > differences that makes VT what it is. > > When I was doing social work I would take the youth that I was > > working with to coffee shops and hangout that I frequented. The kids, > > had never been inside, and upon entering received looks that quickly > > put them in their place. Free Wi-Fi apparently doubles as a “no > > disenfranchised youth” banner. The youth would shrug passed the > > remarks that had become old hat to them and quickly become at home. > > It was apparent that many youth lack places to hang out, places to > > simply be and to interact with other people, outside of the court room > > and jail. Treatment here differed in no way from treatment inside > > hospitals and doctors’ offices, looks were passed, and it was made > > clear to us that in order to hang out, we needed to buy something. We > > could just be dangerous bumbs, like we so clearly were. > > I have felt the sting of indifference at car mechanics. I now make > > sure to wear my Carharts when going to the mechanics after one too > > many experiences being ripped off and made fun of. I have found that > > wearing anything short of Carharts and flannel often warrants not only > > mistrust but abuse, and I have been hurt by these interactions. It is > > not fair to judge someone by the color of skin, vocabulary or clothing > > choice. I have seen people across the world draw lines in imaginary > > sand, lines that put people and friends across imaginary boundaries. > > VT is no different we are here, as unable to escape the prejudice and > > judgment of the human psyche as we are across the world. I believe > > that an inner evolution will be required to let go of such petty > > differences that enable us to form hatreds. It is and always has been > > possible to respect and recognize the diversity within our communities > > without alienating pockets of society. It remains true that different > > populations receive different treatment from varicose factions of > > society. This is a sad and sobering rule of thumb. But it is just > > that, a rule a statements that is often true but to which there are > > exceptions, this is far from a law and with awareness and effort it > > will never be one.
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