The Idea of an Essay, Volume 2

109 war has drastically shaped their country, but here in America many people know little to nothing about this life-changing war. When asked why she believed the war in Guatemala has not gotten as much attention as other wars in Central America, Rigoberta Menchú (an indigenous woman) replies, “One of the reasons is racism itself. We [the indigenous people] don’t have means of communication in our hands. The media and politics has never allowed our people to speak through them” (McPherson 173). These people suffered great losses during the war, yet they have a minuscule voice when it comes to getting their story told. The whispered memories of this war, which exist primarily in the stories of those who lived through it, have been intentionally hushed by the powerful fabricators who began it all over five decades ago. This “silent war” warrants not only recognition but action as well. The United States should aid the Mayan people of indigenous descent in Guatemala because they continue to suffer long-term effects such as poverty and poor education from the recent civil war, which the United States was partially responsible for starting and continuing as they funded the Guatemalan government. The responsibility to help the Mayan people began when the United States was involved in starting the recent civil war in Guatemala, which led to the murders and suffering of countless Mayan people. It was a natural response for America to become involved because Guatemala appeared to be in need of assistance. The United States assumes responsibility for maintaining liberty throughout the world as America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. When a situation, which compromises the freedom of a group of people, arises, the United States is usually the first country to step in, show its bravery, and try to fix the problem. During the time of America’s fight against communism, “Central America’s ruling classes learned that merely by labeling their opposition as ‘Bolshevik’ or ‘Communist’ they could usually win US support, ranging from direct armed intervention to economic and military aid” (Booth 26). In the 1950s, President Árbenez and his government at the time began to implement a “Law of Agrarian Reform” which would redistribute land and give more to the poor in an effort to “overcome the economic backwardness’ of the country and ‘improve the quality of life of the great masses’” (Wilkinson 83). The opposition of President Árbenez began to scheme how to stop this plan, which