Last week we had a tragedy in our community (Waterloo, ON) when 11 persons, 10 farm workers and the driver of a truck were killed. News reports described the victims as migrant workers, even though some of them lived in our community for years. They sent money from their work to support their spouses and children in Peru.
In our local paper, Brian Bourke wrote that while there were a couple of fundraisers, the level of community help seemed somewhat quiet given the situation in which the families of those workers might find themselves.
Nine caskets lined the altar of the Baptist church and the pastor provided support to the families and friends in the nearly-filled worship center.
On the other end of the spectrum, singer Whitney Houston died last week. The outpouring of grief and shock was quite a contrast. The funeral director outside the Baptist Church in Newark, NJ had to keep well-wishers and mourners away to give the family privacy.
What does this say about our society? Houston was an inspiration to many. I wondered when I discussed this with my family and staff if we should not look more to those farm workers and their families for inspiration. They risked everything to come to a completely different culture – to work in jobs many of us wouldn’t take – to build a better life for themselves and their families.
In the words of the editorial, Bourke said, “That is inspiration.”
~ Wilmer Martin
