I was really shocked by everything that occurred in the documentary. However, and this may make me sound bad, but my knowledge of what goes on behind resort walls hasn’t hindered my desire to go visit these beautiful places. I am sure that this does not just happen in Jamaica, which is pretty sad to think about. As tourists, we are going to get away from the stress of working to pay off the things we have in our lives. I guess the reason I am not dissuaded to go to these poverty-ridden places is because I know that the US if full of poverty. I am not exactly sure of the percentage, but I know that a great number of people in America are well below the poverty line.
Yet, how many tourists come to America? To New York, to Philly, to any of our big cities? Unlike in these resorts, in America, just walking around in center city Philadelphia you see the homeless huddled on street corners. Visit Love Park and a homeless man will ask for money to take your photo for you with your camera, and by this point, he is actually pretty good at taking them too. Our poverty is not hidden. As college students, we will all (unless those who are very well off) be in debt, if we are not already. We are in debt to banks, loan distributors, our own parents. We are owned by the capitalist society in which we live to constantly spend money on the things we think we need, on top of the products we actually do need.
Gabby, I agree that although this film was disturbing, it does not change my vacation plans as rude as that sounds. We are taught as children that if you work hard and bust your butt that you deserve a reward, whether that is right or not I am not sure. But, I can say that I work my butt off between 2 jobs, school, volunterring and house work, and at the end of the day I think I deserve a vacation. I understand that my mindset is skewed and that everyone thinks differently, but I am happy I watched the film to open my eyes to events going on outside of the U.S. I also agree with your notion that Americans are used to blatant poverty. As you said in big cities it is everywhere, but even if you walk 10 minutes up the street onto High Street there are homeless people on benches and waiting by the bus stops. Unfortunately poverty has become a part of everyday life, making it less impactful when we see it in other places.
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