The article presented: “Tanzania’s Albinos Hacked Apart by Witchdoctors,” exposes the culture, and acceptance, of albino hunting throughout Africa; it does this through the use of specific examples based in the country of Tanzania. Albinism is a hereditary condition that affects one in every 1400 people in Tanzania, (versus one in 20,000 people in North America) due to an expanse of isolated rural communities, and the close reproductive genetic lines that this seclusion produces. Those who are albino totally lack pigmentation – the natural chemical that gives tissue its colour – in their skin, hair, and even eyes, so as to produce an extremely pale complexion. This colouration often stands in stark contrast to the darker tones of the majority
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Likewise, it is believed that the possession of albino body parts will bring the possessor luck, power, happiness, and good health. They become everything from talisman to functional ingredients in natural medicines. In fact, it is regularly thought that to have sex with an albino person can cure diseases, primarily that of AIDS/HIV. Due to the propensity for ambush like attacks on the albino population, Tanzania has created shelters for people with the genetic condition to live in safety from the threats of assailants. However, as a result of this, those with albinism often live as pariahs, distinctly separate from their own …show more content…
As a Westerner, the issue of albinism in Africa targets my cultural sense of justice and reason. For instance, in North America, there exists laws that hinder and punish those who attempt acts of assault, murder and human trafficking, such as the kind albino people face. These laws are valued strictly and when violated, are dominantly upheld. While similar regulations are also in place in areas across Africa – like human rights charters -- they are not as commonly adhered too due to the marginalization of albino people and a lack of resources, or infrastructure to law groups, as the result of often poor economic standing. Based on these factors, the treatment of albino people challenges my conceptualization of moral lawfulness. I find it hard to objectively view the situation as anything but unjust, despite the complexities based in economic and social factors, when in the Western world, actions such as these, would be viewed as heinous crimes to be swiftly retributed. As a result, the idea that these crimes go frequently unpunished taints my feelings negatively on the
Likewise, it is believed that the possession of albino body parts will bring the possessor luck, power, happiness, and good health. They become everything from talisman to functional ingredients in natural medicines. In fact, it is regularly thought that to have sex with an albino person can cure diseases, primarily that of AIDS/HIV. Due to the propensity for ambush like attacks on the albino population, Tanzania has created shelters for people with the genetic condition to live in safety from the threats of assailants. However, as a result of this, those with albinism often live as pariahs, distinctly separate from their own …show more content…
As a Westerner, the issue of albinism in Africa targets my cultural sense of justice and reason. For instance, in North America, there exists laws that hinder and punish those who attempt acts of assault, murder and human trafficking, such as the kind albino people face. These laws are valued strictly and when violated, are dominantly upheld. While similar regulations are also in place in areas across Africa – like human rights charters -- they are not as commonly adhered too due to the marginalization of albino people and a lack of resources, or infrastructure to law groups, as the result of often poor economic standing. Based on these factors, the treatment of albino people challenges my conceptualization of moral lawfulness. I find it hard to objectively view the situation as anything but unjust, despite the complexities based in economic and social factors, when in the Western world, actions such as these, would be viewed as heinous crimes to be swiftly retributed. As a result, the idea that these crimes go frequently unpunished taints my feelings negatively on the