October 31, 2003 - Dayton Daily News: A nod to the truth By Kazakhstan RPCV KevinMarousek

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Special Reports: October 26, 2003: Dayton Daily News reports on Peace Corps Safety and Security: What RPCVs say about this Series on other Message Boards: October 31, 2003 - Dayton Daily News: A nod to the truth By Kazakhstan RPCV KevinMarousek

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-165-54.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.165.54) on Friday, October 31, 2003 - 2:16 pm: Edit Post

A nod to the truth By Kazakhstan RPCV KevinMarousek



A nod to the truth By Kazakhstan RPCV KevinMarousek

A nod to the truth By KevinMarousek

As I read the postings to this message board, what gets me more than anything is the overwhelming support for the Peace Corps experience. Former volunteers of an agency this newspaper set out to demonize have come forward to set the record straight. People may not always support the administration, but nobody denies the value of being a volunteer.

Everyone had rough moments during our respective service (obviously some rougher than others). I don't think I've seen a posting here that could in any way be called overly positive. We all acknowledge that the Peace Corps isn't perfect, but the imperfections are a small part of the story.

A part of me is sad that global and national events have drowned the story this newspaper tried to force down the public's throats. The addition of other, more respectable news outlets might have allowed for a more open and constructive dialogue about the Peace Corps. We could have discussed the Bush administration's plan to double the amount of volunteers while simultaneously slashing the proposed budget needed to better ensure, among other things, safety and security. I mean, if people are to be accountable, why not start at the top?

Then again, increasing public awareness of this series might have lead to greater profits for the folks at Cox (an unfortunate, but appropriate name) who publish the Dayton Daily News. It's probably better that this series be kept to the obscurity and low readership of Dayton.

Some people have problems with the Peace Corps, but even those people have posted messages in this chatroom denouncing the Dayton team. We need to find a way to get help to the RPCVs and their families who most need it. The sad tales of victims and families of victims have a right to be aired, but not to be edited by a news organization with an agenda. My heart goes out to Kristy Lord, the Lesotho RPCVs, and the family of Carlos Amador. I hope they accept my gratitude and thanks for having the courage to share their thoughts with the public. Their unedited words found on this message board are far more powerful and illustrative than anything Russell Carollo, Mei-Ling Hopgood, Cesar Jimenez Callaba, Christine Willmsen, or editor Jeff Bruce could manufacture. If we agree on nothing else, let us agree on that.

Kevin Marousek, RPCV, Kazakhstan 2002-2003



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Story Source: Dayton Daily News

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Safety and Security of Volunteers; Investigative Journalism; COS - Kazakhstan

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