Word: poorly
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Once upon a time there lived a poor peasant farmer and his homely wife, infant son and pretty younger sister. They hoed and sowed all day, every day, to feed their bellies, save money for the sister's dowry and earn enough for new clothes once a year. But implacable Fate played tricks on them. Usurious moneylenders fleeced the farmer of his land and house. A jive-talking soldier ravished the virginal sister. Destitute and socially shunned, the family fled their home village...
...which distorted the situation in Kenya, either out of ignorance or in keeping with the Western media's romance with the bleak face of Africa [Jan. 21]. Poverty may predispose people to violence, but the postelection skirmishes in Kenya were not a natural consequence of poverty. Kenyans have been poor but peaceful for decades. Rather, the protests are the language of the weak against a regime that rigged itself into power. The violence is motivated by century-old tribal wounds that had been allowed to fester. Second, tribalism is not the brainchild of Kenya's first President; it started with...
...fell short of reminding readers that the same demons haunt Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. They arise from the evil in human nature. And by the way, Kenya is not Africa's sole "island of stability." My country, Ghana, and many others are poor but stable. Africa has been marginalized in the American media, except when it comes to bloodshed. Unfortunately, you affect Africa's effort to develop as much by what you choose not to report. William K. Agadzi, Eorcester, Mass...
Edwards' stump speech in 2004 had been about the two Americas, one where the poor live increasingly neglected lives and the other where the rich grow richer. That remained the central theme of his 2008 populist campaign. "Our campaign from the very beginning has been about one central thing and that is to give voice to millions of Americans who have absolutely no voice in this democracy," he would say, as he did conceding South Carolina, never forgetting to remind voters of his Horatio Alger background as the son of a poor mill worker...
...there were other complications. Edwards announced his candidacy in New Orleans' Ninth Ward, redoubling up on his pledge to fight corruption in Washington on behalf of the neglected and needy. But he was plagued by a series of missteps that damaged his image as a crusader for the poor. First came a spate of stories when Edwards built a $6 million home on 100 acres outside Chapel Hill in 2005. Then came an embarrassing disclosure that he paid $400 for his carefully coifed haircut. Finally, it turned out working with non-profits wasn't the only thing Edwards, a former...