Ouf, I am glad I added that word. Seriously, the topic of domestic violence in VN (against women and children) needs to be discussed. The creation of shelters would be a worthwhile project for VHI. I have observed a lot of behaviors among VN in VN and the US that made me aware of the situation. Thanks, Annette, for pointing it out. At 10:56 PM 1/23/03, you wrote: >Da.t, > >< in VN, at least officially, the revolution that >these women fought for advocates the emancipation of >women and the equality of the sexes > > >Note from reader: the word "officially" is very >important and makes a big difference in this sentence. > >Dear Da(.t,if that word were not there, I would have >to disagree with you. > From my heartrending observations, after 4 times >visiting VN, I come to the depressing observation that >most women are mistreated, looked down, mentally, >orally abused by men. Educated or not educated, they >have to put up with their husbands'abusive behavior, >mostly due to the Vietnamese cultural obligations, AND >due to the lack of protection from the law. > >P.S I'm reading Catfish and Mandala. Yes, it's >poignant, truthful, and also entertaining. Thanks for >recommending it to me. > >Annette > >--- Dat Duthinh <dduthinh@xxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > > Dear Dzung: > > > > Thank you for a most poignant article. It is > > particularly fitting that > > you, a former officer of the ARVN and re-ed camp > > "student" would choose to > > distribute it. We look at the enemy, and they are > > us. We are all VN, our > > heroes, our values are the same. We are all humans, > > and war is horror for > > winners and losers alike. > > > > In reading the story, I kept thinking of the black > > and white picture of a > > young teenage girl, in a broad-brimmed guerilla hat, > > playing the guitar on > > the Ho Chi Minh trail, by a camp fire. I saw this > > photograph at one of the > > photo exhibits in Washington DC last year. She was > > beautiful, innocent, > > full of promise. The caption says that a few days > > after the photo was > > taken, she stepped on a land mine, and there was no > > piece of her left that > > could not fit in the palm of one hand. > > > > The situation in VN is not different from that found > > in many other > > countries. Eritrea fought a war with Ethiopia that > > lasted several decades > > and involved many women fighters. Although women > > achieved a certain parity > > with men in war, when peace came, they had to come > > back to more traditional > > and subservient roles. Another similarity is the > > black soldiers returning > > to the US after WW2 to second class citizenship. In > > VN, at least > > officially, the revolution that these women fought > > for advocates the > > emancipation of women and equality of the sexes. > > > > I did not see any reference to Duong Thu Huong in > > the article. Also the > > ratio of women to men is in fact lower, not higher > > than normal. Overall, > > there are 52 girls born to 48 boys worldwide. > > > > > > > > > >__________________________________________________ >Do you Yahoo!? >Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. >http://mailplus.yahoo.com This information is confidential and pre-decisional. Dat Duthinh