The fact that people, on, what's supposed to be one of the most special days of their lives, exchange on of the most standardized products is confusing, when you stop and think about it. To show a person that she/he is special, we give them something that's not very special at all. Sure - a diamond ring is expensive - but it's also virtually mandatory to a wedding, which greatly reduces its significance.

The fact that you're "one of the last to be engage" is very strange to me. I live in Sweden, am just as old as you, and neither me nor any of my friends, or anyone else I know of are either about to get engaged, engaged or married. How two countries that in many senses are very similar in terms of culture can be so different when it comes to this amazes me. Slightly. Very slightly. I don't really care.

"...it pisses me off that I've been psychologically conditioned to want a diamond, diamonds are overpriced, and they have no resale or investment value."

I think I might be in love with you.

"But it hurts me as a human to learn about the conditions of diamond miners, the abuse of indigenous people, and the scary truth of child warriors. I am well aware that wearing a diamond is like having blood on your hands."

I now know that I am in love with you.

thanks a lot stacy.. *stares at bag of nestle chocolate* now i can't eat those. oh wait, they're hershey's, not nestle. that means they're okay right?

i'm more concerned about my chocolate than diamonds, haha. shows what kind of girl i am.

and you are not the last one who is still single (in the married/not married sense). i'm just as amazed at how everyone our age is settling and clinging to whatever's there and getting married and having kids. it makes me sad for our generation.

okay, i need to get to bed and stop procrastonating my sleeping time like you need to be doing homework now :)

I knew there was a reason I added your blog to my links section. Not only are you witty and funny and smart and cute, you care. We need more people that care in this sanitized yet dirty, desensitized yet overly stimulated world. Viva la revolucion mi amiga! Oh, and props for mentioning the plight of my Indigenous brothers and sisters.

Damn ironic too that your post would prompt Google Ads to use the Nestle Good Start Supreme eh?

Nice. Never knew about the whole Nestle thing. Diamonds, I knew about - though I think diamonds are just one of the hundreds of issues crippling modern day Africa.

I admire your stance on these issues and it has made me look this stuff up.
However,
As much as I would love to toss aside my beautiful diamond ring (once owned by Otto's grandmother RIP) based on the evils of mankind, I wouldn't be able to. And as much as I would love to ban everything Nestle - I probably wouldn't.

This doesn't make me egocentric nor uncaring about the environment or corruption in politics. Then again, a little selfishness exists in all of us. Some people are self absorbed to escape the world around them but don't forget, there are some who are so absorbed with the world to escape themselves.

My beliefs in my causes (autism, female sexuality and expression, racism...)are just as strong as yours but different. My feeling is the amount of time I spend ranting about the state of everything in the world is less time spent on teaching one of my students to speak for the first time and even less time for me to enjoy some few things in life that help keep me sane enough to continue my own fights.

Don't judge us all - I just have different priorities.

Unfortunately, things will not change anytime soon.

People only concern themselves with what is immediately in front or, in some rare cases, what is around them.

Our society, as a whole, has been placated by strip malls, cheap prices at Walmart and cheaper gas prices than the rest of the world.

The only way any of us will see a social change in today's society is if any of the above things were to suddenly disappear.

"The only way any of us will see a social change in today's society is if any of the above things were to suddenly disappear."

..sigh...if only...haha. Hasta la victoria siempre!

Regarding priorities (and this by no means excuses complete or even convenient apathy), I am reminded of some advice from Mohandas K. Gandhi on colonialism: we must learn to distinguish between the minor irritances and truly fundamental issues.

Hmmm, now now Stacia ... This self-righteous outburst sounds out of line in light of your recent "fact-finding" mission to "Sin City" -- Las Vega$

Imagine for a minute... your diamond boycott becomes international news. Everyone reads your blog post and it strikes a nerve. The diamond industry rapidly and completely collapses. Woohoo! You succeeded!




Wait... now what? The diamond miners, cutters, polishers, etc. can't find another job! It really is the only thing available to them! What's left for them? Faith. With only faith to turn to, they're especially susceptible to being pulled in by extremist views.




"The guys at the madrasas seemed so caring! They would just GIVE me food! All they asked for in return is devotion and an open mind. What do you mean you'll give my family money? I'm so embarrassed that I can't support them myself after losing my mining job. I'll get how many virgins in the afterlife? What do I have to do?"




Congratulations. You just supported terrorism.

Heck, all you have to do is vote Republican or Democrat and you support terrorism. Pay taxes and you support terrorism. Why is it any different when it's state-sponsored?

Oh I see, as long as we keep poor people in other parts of the world working, barely surviving, they won't think of things like justice or equality or god forbid, freedom! So all it takes is the temptation of a few virgins to wanna blow shit up?

Uh-oh, I'm starting to feel susceptible to extremist views! Better turn on Fox News so I can subject myself to more paternalistic re-education, in the name of freedom and democracy!

evildoers beware.

i agree. i'm a feminist and it disgusts me that i was raised to want a diamond and that i think they're gorgeous stones. but after taking geology classes and sociology classes and actually learning about what diamons are doing to the earth (and the poor miners) i won't ever wear one. well, i'll wear the the jewelry passed down to me from relatives, but i won't buy a new one. i've always wanted a "unique" engagement ring - if i ever got married, which i doubt i will. i wouldn't mind a plain band, for crying out loud.

i enjoyed reading the comments trying to rip you to shreads for making a crack about supporting terrorism. no questions about what political party they belong to! i have a comment in my moderation queue that traces the "biological" origins of racism to god and how he meant for us to be racists because white were superior ("us" being humans in general).

i think our society is just... trashed. we're all raised to want this stupid picture perfect THING, unless our parents have brains and let us think differently.

i'm glad we both realized we don't have to be a picture. we can be human beings.

don't buy diamonds!

My 'You just supported terrorism' comment was with tongue firmly planted in cheek. I have no political affiliations. However, since my true point was apparently not clear enough, what do you do with the poor miners in Africa whose ONLY hope for a job is diamond mining? Without the diamond trade, there is simply nothing else for them. Should we work to improve their conditions? Absolutely. The way to do this isn't by cutting off their livelihood, however.

If you're looking for the economic "haves" to stop exploiting the economic "have nots" by boycotting industries that "sponsor" this sort of thing, your list will never end. Like it or not, the Western economy is completely run on the backs of cheap labor throughout the world.

It's great to bring attention to it, but it is a much larger problem than this miniscule piece. Unfortunately, "nibbling away" at the problem can only cause hardship for the very people you're purporting to "care" about.

I've emailed a few of you separately, but obviously there is still some intense misunderstanding.

I was not aware when I was typing this post that it would be perceived as an "self-righteous outburst." I took it more as a sensitive moment of pain I was sharing. Nowhere did I invite anyone in a diamond boycott, nor was I was judging any of you personally. (Especially not you, Mal; you should know I love and adore you!)

I am not sure how I come across to complete strangers on the Internet. I only know that I am respected and loved by my friends (many who read my blog)... so I'm sorry if you misunderstand me, but really, you don't even know me.