I agree that you have to come from a position of relative security to make that statement. I am not saying it's something bad, and I admire your husband but I still think you have to be in a generally secure situtation to be able to even have the menatlity to make that choice.
And I disagree with knowing people in serious dire poevrty makes you necessarily more knowledgeable: because we are all products of our environment and would not really be able to fully know what's like to have absolutely NO security ever.
I think it's safe to say *everyone* on this board has known security ... and finances are not the only thing involved in this, but without some degree of privelage than we cannot have security much past the age of 2-3 if that; as if you are an infant and your family doesn't eat enough for your mother to produce enough milk or feed you in general - you aren't experiencing security - even marky.
While I do appreciate your concern/care, I do find your first advice and the thought process behind it a little offensive. Then again, I am not terribly offended I'm used to it and think it's something that our society should work on more. While I freely admit I could be reading it wrong; I think that only proves my own background of privelege.
I also find it difficult to believe you are not in a position of privelge, since you did just take mission-style trip (which while I think are often times, tho' not always helpful) are really something on those of us with certain societal privelleges and security can do.
And if you'd still like I can scan the artile for your by Linda Alcoff; I am keeping the book and own a copy machine.
You may enjoy it, she talks about this sort of problem a lot and how feminists especially need to avoid it (as historically in the past feminism has been viewed as a white middle to upper class phenomena and much theory still reflects this - even when the subject is soemthing like women in India.)
