CC Project
A response incorporating ideas from Nietzsche to discuss this article: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/03/220-schoolgirls-abducted-by-boko-haram-have-been-enslaved
Cohen argues that the specific vocabulary we use to describe the situation makes a difference; I am unsure as to how true this is, for I doubt that members of Boko Haram will change their policies based on the words outsiders use to describe them. After all, they have a lot of dedication to their idea that women should stay at home (an old system of morality that may not be the best for the present time, which is where Nietzsche plays a role in my song). 


Lyrics:

The last crows have flown away
Little girls they’ve taken away
You’ll be safe in our arms
They’ll say
But the schoolyard full of flames
God told them thought’s a sin
God told them to begin
Into the deep, into the deep, into the deep…
 
And the trees will cover the screams
So we can sleep easily

Words of compassion seem to change nothing at all
An old morality has trapped them there
Absolutes staining everywhere
 
Should we be careful of the things we say
Or will the girls be sold anyway  
Is all this talk in vain
For the towns are full of flames
Full of flames
Full of flames
 
And the trees will cover the screams
So we can sleep easily

God told them thought’s a sin
God told them to begin
Into the deep, into the deep, into the deep…

Words of compassion seem to change nothing at all
An old morality has trapped them there
Absolutes staining everywhere

Words of compassion seem to change nothing at all
An old morality has trapped them there
Absolutes staining everywhere

An old morality has trapped them there
Absolutes staining everywhere

Commentary:

While it does appear that the media is inconsistent in its use of vocabulary when describing crimes in Africa versus in a Western country, I am unsure as to how much the distinction that Mr. Cohen provides will help the situation. We could use words such as “sexual slavery” to describe the incident, and could perhaps garner up enough outrage to push President Goodluck into decisive action. Yet even if this occurred, the safety of the girls would not be guaranteed – in fact, some forms of military action may incite members of Boko Haram to further atrocities (of course, this is not to say that an attempt to save the girls should not be carried out). If the girls are successfully rescued, that will undoubtedly be a great relief for them, their families, and anybody else directly affected by the attack. The solution, however, may be short-term: Boko Haram was declared defeated after its leader Mohammed Yusuf and many members were killed in 2009, yet violence soon resumed. 

Part of the reason that Boko Haram has become so powerful is its ability to attract new recruits. One of the means by which the organization gets new members is through offering an alternative to the current corrupt government. I truly doubt that the members of Boko Haram will decide to have a Nietzschean revaluation of morality anytime soon, so the burden is on the government to change its ways. Perhaps if it becomes less corrupt and more attuned to the needs of its citizenry, the government will provide a long-term solution to the problem. People will have less incentive to join a group such as Boko Haram if they are more satisfied with their lives and face less poverty. 

The words we use are undoubtedly important, but in this case, using more “slavery” and “abuse” instead of “kidnapping” and “abduction” may not provide a long-term solution to the problem (or perhaps any solution at all). It appears that the only way to truly end the problem is for the government to become less corrupt and to address the needs of the Nigerian people more effectively.
 

Jenny S Wang