Ben G. here posting my first "blog" in Cambodia. So far, the trip has been rather exciting and full of experiences that none of us will soon forget. We have all chosen different methods of dealing with some of the troubling things I am sure you have read or heard about. Some have chosen to vent their emotions by crying, confiding in friends and parents, or writing personal journal entries. When it comes to times like these, I, however, tend to rethink my own philosophies and comtemplate existence.

Learning first hand about the horrible Khmer Rouge genocide has made me begin to think of myself as a citizen of the world. It matters not where or when this tragedy occurred, but it should be seen as a threat to human dignity and freedom. We as humans should witness atrocities like these and be disturbed by lack of decency, not because we feel personally afraid of being subjected to such torture, but because it jeopardizes the concept of humanity. Additionally, the scale, context, duration, or supposed justification of these events have little importance: American slavery, the Holocaust, Pol Pot's regime, or the Abu Ghraib scandal should all be viewed through a similar lens.

I hope I have not bored you with my philosophizing. This afternoon, we are traveling to Kampong Cham from Phnom Penh, so we will be out of internet communication for the next several days.