Re: Job

John Pastore (venture@CANCUN.RCE.COM.MX)
Sun, 21 Apr 1996 22:32:23 +0000

On 21 Apr 96 at 21:08, John Cole. wrote:

> Why on Earth are there a series of insulting and even racist
> comments posted here in response to a job query from a student?!
>
> This is appalling.
>
> --John R. Cole

No sir. What is appalling is that you should think anything I have
said this night is either insulting or racist. I have just finished
defending REAL people --4 to 7 million of them from racism. It was
not easy. In front of millions of children an archaeologist said, in
effect, it was ok for Spanish Inquisitors to disembowel children
because they were the children of people who supposedly sacrificed
children. And I don't make one dime for it. I eat stewed pig skin
and rice when I'm lucky, and I don't know from day to day if I even
have a hammock to crawl into at the end of the night. And that's
ok.

A highschool teacher told his or her class that they are there on
their own volition and that if they wanted to work at McDonalds they
should leave! I worked at McDonalds, and it is beats the hell out
of what ninety percent of the world has to do. The people working at
McDonalds here wouldn't risk their jobs for all such so-called
teachers in the world.They know how lucky they are to have any work
at all, much less, doing what they want. With their work, they can
afford pencils and paper for the first time. And education never
stopped anybody from doing what they want. I sent a photograph to
this group and two others of what I think is important. And all I did
was just get a damn ruler and go do it. If students are not being
taught that, than what the hell is going on?

There was another message tonight about an incorrigible delinquent
who turned on his own father, and the person was asking what
anthropologists think can be done about it. The father was actually
being held responsible for 70,000 dollars worth of damages by the
township where he lived. Tell me, do you think that delinquent knew
that even to work at McDonalds is not beneath the dignity of anyone?
What was the father to do. With the idiot laws they have, even if he
turned his own son in, they wouldn't have taken him, and they would
still have made him responsible. What is appalling is that here was
this message, yet you should dicide that it is something I am saying
that is "appalling". Get real. And don't look at a diploma looking
for it.

If Adam or anyone else can't pursue their futures without a sense of
humor, they might as well quit before they get started. Lighten up
Mr. Cole. So, if not at worse, I or others might think you to be
deliberately misconstruing what was said for no other reason than to
impose their will, or at best: "Things will get better despite our
efforts to improve them" as Will Rogers once said.

As for:

> Arch-L (John Pastore suggested Adam should get a job in
> archaeology by posing as a relic in a nice museum...). Maybe I
> just don't have a good sense of humour.

I said "could" not "should", and, for that, yes you do not have a
good sense of humor.

As for the student Tanya first writing:

>Adam: Cross the bridge when you get to it, and along the way just
>gather as much experience as you can, and most of all: have FUN
>doing it!!!

To then write:

> Hi John!
>
> You oviously have a lot of time on your hands, so please explain to
> me
> what a "bugaboo" is, since you seem to know at least something about
> them.

Tanya:

In my day it was a little different getting educations. There were
german shepards and nightsticks in the way, and then when you got to
your classroom there were ROTC marines telling you it was the law to
spend your tax money on their boy-scout jamborees so that you could
drop bombs on people who had never bothered you, and if you didn't
like it than you couldn't attend college and if you didn't attend
college you were on your way to crawl down tunnels with a pistol in
one hand and a grenade in the other. We said "NO". And we made them
change, not us. And you know something Tanya? It was fun.

Now while your having your fun, which you should, do you really need
to be explained what bugaboos are. I can't. If there is anybody
out there who is a member of a culture named bugaboos, please except
my sincerest apologies. I had no idea. Thank you Tanya for pointing
it out to me --perhaps you can inform me who they are. I'll sit back
and be quiet, like Yogi Berra once said: "Sometimes you can observe
alot by watching." After all: I do have alot of time on my hands
--thank heaven.

Anthony: I couldn't help but notice the name of the person you just
quoted. I hope our levity was helpful.

Well, excuse me all, and good night.





Ka Xiik Keech Ya Utzil,

John Pastore
Writer/Guide in 'El Mayab'
("The Mayan Homeland")
venture@cancun.rce.com.mx