Christine Cook – Catholic GirlEssay Preview: Christine Cook – Catholic GirlReport this essayChristine Cook is a fifteen-year-old Irish Catholic girl who is bored with life in her small town of Oswego, New York. She yearns for adventure and wishes she was old enough to join the WACs or to simply travel the world learning about other cultures. Therefore, it isnt too surprising that Chris becomes instantly enthralled by the European war refugees who take up residence in the old abandoned military base at Fort Ontario in her hometown. On the day the refugees arrive, Chris is immediately smitten by a handsome, dark-haired young man, and loans her bicycle to his little sister. She sneaks into the camp almost every day, making new friends with the teens there and learning about their lives, and when she “officially” meets the boy she saw that first day, they become instant friends.
Adam Bornstein is a Yugoslavian Jew who has experienced more heartache in his seventeen years than many people have in a lifetime. He saw firsthand the horrors of war when the Nazis invaded his homeland, and his family had to run for their lives. Now he, his mother and sister have been given the opportunity to take refuge in America, and he is happy to be starting a new life. Adam couldnt help but be taken with the beautiful American girl who generously loaned his sister a bicycle and welcomed all the refugees with open arms. Never having had a girlfriend before, Adam isnt quite sure how one should behave around a girl he likes, but soon their easy friendship readily blossoms into sweet romance.
Unfortunately, Chriss father is adamantly against his Catholic daughter “going with” a Jewish boy, and orders her to stay away from the camp. Still, Chris cant seem to stop herself from going, not only to see Adam, but all of her other friends as well. Before long though, the harsh reality of life sets in. The emergency shelter was only meant to be a temporary home for the refugees, and what will happen to them after the camp closes is a daily uncertainty. They may be allowed to immigrate permanently or they may be sent back to their homeland, but either way, it seems inevitable that Chris and Adam will eventually be separated. Until the decision is made, they must struggle against the prejudiced attitude of Chriss father, love each other to the fullest, and hope against hope that they wont be torn apart in the end.
The National Response Unit, including the Chief of the National Disaster Response, has put in place its own emergency shelter. The NDEU has asked that all refugees stay away from the village until it is secure before coming back. (Bryan St. Thomas)
Christina Wrenn, Director of the Christina Center for International and National Security Programs at the University of Oregon, joins me to speak to an in-depth story written by Chris N. She said that after her father died, Chris needed to spend time at home with family members. If he could not leave his home, he would take time out to go to church. That is why some of her friends are taking a break from the camp, because they think she is making him feel bad and he may regret it. Chris says that if he had decided to get out, he would not have kept her as a pet, even though his family considered her an asset. She was taken care of by a counselor and he didn’t find out what happened. He went to church, stayed with his uncle, played music for the kids. He prayed for his mother at first, but eventually was turned away. He says after that, he learned that she was abusive and had gotten violent with other people. He was left isolated and he got on with God’s work just like she did. Chris had no idea about how to stop her. He does not want to be part of the culture where things get violent when it is a social issue or when she comes home and he is feeling depressed because of it but somehow she was left. He didn’t know what to do and he was also not