In the dark struggle for the heart of Honduras, the children are their bright spot

There is a struggle going on for the very heart of Honduras.  Nobody seems to know what to believe or how to act or what the proper response is.  And while the U.S. is wringing our hands trying to decide who to believe and what action to take so we look masterful and in charge, the hearts and minds of the children are being slowly sucked into the vacuum of misinformation, and manipulation. 

When recently asked their opinion about what needs to happen in Honduras, the teens were hard pressed to answer.  They did seem to agree that their country needs prayer.  They are so overwhelmed by the infusion of Marxist ideology from some Zelayanista teachers.  Nelle Petit Smith, of World Resources Group, an NGO who has been diligently grasping kids from the black hole of ignorance and poverty,  says that it is appalling that there is so much misinformation and propaganda regarding human rights and political agendas.  The children hear so many stories from teachers and parents that they don't know who to believe.

Nelle is encouraging the kids to read and study all that they can so that they can understand what is going on so that they can formulate and articulate their own opinions. Otherwise, she fears, they will become easy prey to whoever speaks the loudest.  "Many of the villages are so remote that the citizens really had no idea what was going on and how it could affect them," she continued. "Had we not stepped in and educated them, many of our teens from Linaca and Jamastran could be front lines in the new Zelaya Marxist guerilla fighters training at the nearby border of Nicaragua."  The kids were taught how a democracy and constitution are supposed to work and how the recent events threatened their freedom.  Most of the students express fear for their safety and experience a constant tension.  Adding to their fears is the fact that the hospitals are closed because the doctors are now on strike.  On a two week, 24 hour a day lockdown, they were only allowed out for a couple hours a day to do business.  Then, after the teachers returned from being on strike, they doubled the homework load for the students so it was difficult to get enough sleep.  Many of the teachers are teaching Marxist principles, while at the same time telling them that the U.S. supports Zelaya.  Is it any wonder these teens are confused?

According to an article on openmarket.org, visas are being revoked by the U.S. and most new applications are being denied.  The economic hardship being placed on an already vulnerable economy is unmistakable.  By not understanding the legal procedure of Zelaya's removal from office, the U.S. is making some dangerous potential alliances and choosing some already "infected" bedfellows. Who suffers from such unhealthy political alliances?  The children.

The teens and children that WRG works with are bright and hopeful.  They have dreams like your kids and my kids, but they are very poor, some very isolated.  They live in huts with no running water, and not much access to news.  Sometimes their families feel forced to keep them out of school because they can earn up to $2.50 a day for the family picking beans, missing out on a vital education.  If they are kept ignorant, they are easier targets for brainwashing and control.  We need to support the leadership of a country that is trying to teach and live by the freeing standards of democracy.  The kids are the bright lights of the future.  We can't let them get snuffed out. 

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