US Secretary of State
US Department of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton
2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520

Dear US Secretary of State Clinton; July 20, 2009

Statistics and reports abound on domestic violence and abuse in the USA and around the world, all coming to the same conclusion; there exists a global systematic torture and genocide of women and children. What these reports do not explore nor divulge, however, are the direct and indirect economical and social costs that this global violence creates for our societies, as well as the origin of this violence.

Years ago while living in Bogota, Colombia I attended a conference at the American Embassy on the US State department’s policy of Plan Colombia, and at the end of the conference I stood up and asked the ever present question of “It is all well and good to eradicate the production of drugs here in Colombia, however, as long as demand and consumption is on the rise, eradicating it here will just make it “pop-up” elsewhere. So what is the American government doing to comprehensively reduce drug consumption in the USA?” And, the State Department civil servant responded “What do you care as long as we get rid of it here?”

I bit my tongue on my retort of “Well that’s just stupid, of course I care! I am sick and tired of seeing messed-up parents bring up messed-up kids with everyone needing their respective drugs (legal, illegal and prescription) in order to survive!!!”

While under Colombia’s President Uribe, drug production in Colombia has declined, this drug production has just moved into Venezuela with Hugo Chavez opening his back door to the industry, into Mexico and on to US borders. Pheonix, Arizona is now apparently the kidnapping “capital” of the world.

Additionally, while living in Colombia I attended a conference given by US Ambassador Anne Patterson’s husband, David Patterson, a reputed expert on the Sunni and Shiite factions in Iraq. At the end of the conference I stood up and asked another ever present question “Will these two groups ever be able to live in peace and harmony with each other?” And, his response was “Well that is what we will see in the future.”

It is consistently demonstrated that violence and corruption are integrally interdependent, and without peace, economic development and universal education within a country, true democratic process cannot and will not develop.

Iraq is perhaps the most recent, but far from the only, example of a country where a constitution and “democratic” process was installed before the society was economically, socially and educationally prepared for assuming that responsibility. It is clearly a case of putting the cart before the horse.

I am far from a fan of Saddam Hussein and his administration, and even supported the second invasion of Iraq, mainly due to former US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s conviction that it was a necessary evil. But, I ask you are the number of people who have died and continue to die on a daily basis in Iraq, Iraqis and American soldiers, less than those killed under Saddam Hussein? Is this not genocide under another name?

Dictators, whatever their nationality or political convictions, are a loathsome lot, but if one looks at history they have always have come into power due to a country’s desire to bring social and economic stability, Hitler and Franco, perhaps the most well-known amongst Westerners.

True democracy cannot be imposed, but must rise up from the people. Is not the American “experiment” over 200 years ago, and more recently the election of President Obama testament to that fact?

Unfortunately, my two questions of so many years ago remain applicable today. One of the things that I have learned during my life-time is that in order to come up with real solutions, it important to ask questions which may be painful and uncomfortable, and at times even question the very fabric of our being, our norms and society.


“Judge of a man (or woman) by his questions rather than by his answers.” Voltaire.

Sincerely,

Quenby Wilcox