Remembering Samantha Smith - Journey to Maine

[peacetraveler22]

Hello dear readers! I know many of you voted for me to travel to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, but unfortunately finances are tight and airfare there too expensive. So, in a week, I'll return to my beloved Maine and go on another road journey to New England. During the trip, I plan on meeting with Samantha Smith's mother in Boothbay Harbor. What questions do you want me to ask her?

I've had no time for the blog recently due to a hectic work and life schedule. :(  However, next week I'll show you "good Russia," with stories about Kazan and Ples from the winter journey. In the meantime, please let me know what questions you have for Samantha's mom. I'm happy I can finally leave the office for a week, meet with her, and relax in the beautiful surroundings of cozy New England. Does the younger generation in Russia know about Samantha's legacy? How do they learn about her? Or, is she mostly known to those who grew up during the Soviet period? I think her mother will be interested in knowing these facts. :) Have a nice weekend!

Comments

[creaze.livejournal.com]

Think of american doctor as a cadillac, and of his russian colleague as a cheap ford truck.

Back in the 20ies the american idea was that everyone is entitled to a car, while the russian idea was, everyone is entitled to healthcare. This is how our countries developed it. You can't put the same amount of work and care into a ford truck, like in a caddilac. You can't pay a mass doctor as much as he gets where healthcare is rather luxurious.

[naysayer15.livejournal.com]

I like the level of your naiveness :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Why do you think I'm naive?

Тут рассказано

[Порфирий Обормотов (from livejournal.com)]

http://www.artekovetc.ru/samsmitvoj.html

Re: Off. About salaries.

[liver22.livejournal.com]

In Russia usually in general too most lawyers have professional education, and lawyers "from the street" is a rarity. But yes, if you don't have professional education (but have independent education) you still have the opportunity to work as a lawyer in a limited number of organizations (e.g. without professional education you will never be able to work as a judge, etc.), except if you get a job, you may not be able to present a professional diploma, and you will have to prove their qualifications in other ways This can reduce your competitive ability.

About system you describe, I can't evaluate it in terms of the presence or absence of fun, because I do not know what the result is achieved through the application of a verification system for lawyers, more precisely future lawyers, if I understood you correctly.
And it's actually my question is justified the use of such knowledge verification system future lawyers now, or, for example, you can dispense with the bar exam at least for those lawyers who are going to work in a little less responsible spheres, for example lawyers who work exclusively in the Office (never go to court), mostly work with documents, etc. or this exam must pass absolutely all the lawyers? I'm interested in your particular view on this issue)).

[creaze.livejournal.com]

Oh, i got a question. It bothers me, as a hard-edged russian patriot: how did the russian embassy people act and look, as they were arranging the trip? Who came in touch with the Smith family, how soon after the letter from Andropov, how did they handle the visa trip? Did they at least offer a car for the airport?

By the first look at this story, russian officials demonstrated the kind of resolution and directness that they're lacking so much these days.

So please ask her about some small details, how it was, to be invited into a country by its leader. Thanks!!

[kremlin-curant.livejournal.com]

It is easy question for her mom I guess, but the facts unknown for most of the Russian people. Actually Andropov never answered to the girl in spite the letter was published in "Pravda". She wrote second letter to the Russian Embassy in Washington and this time ambassador Dobrinin (as I remember he was envoy) replied. All arrangements were done by soviet Embassy in Washington.

[naysayer15.livejournal.com]

Because I am pretty sure that the girl in question was promoted by the media and such things do not happen to everyone :) Lets consider it as one of the USA`s propaganda machine projects :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

She was utilized by both the U.S. and Soviet governments. Impossible to live without faith in the good of humanity. Try it sometime. :))

[bezumynnay.livejournal.com]

I'm 22 year old Belarusian girl and I know who Samantha Smith is. I knew about her when I was a child, I found an old magazine dated, as I'm not mistaken, 1990 or smth. like that. I've never heard even the name of Samantha before, but I really was petrified, shocked with her story, her journey to USSR and especially ARTEK, and I remember that I can't stop crying...
Samantha is my hero. I'm really really really glad to see the photo of this brave girl here and I'm proud of being aware of her story.
..While writing this I've recollected that a diamond has been named after Samantha..
She herself was a real diamond.

[imur.livejournal.com]

This post brings back my memories! I grew up during the Soviet period and I remember Samantha very well, she was about the same age as me. I followed her story on TV very closely and was really shocked when she died. I remember, I even wrote a little poem about her (naive, kids’ poem):

Саманта. Саманта. Саманта.
Ты маленькой, право, была,
Но сделала ты ведь, Саманта,
Больше добра, чем зла.

Ты мира хотела и счастья,
И жить чтоб всегда без войн,
И светлыми ручками детства
В сердцах зажигала огонь.

Огонь правоты, справедливости,
Улыбок и ярких цветов,
Бессмертья огонь, добродушия
И вечной весны огонь.

From my understanding, Smantha was better known in the USSR, than in the USA – is it true? For example, my husband who is American knew nothing about her at all. Did you know about her in early 80s?

By the way, there was another girl, Katya Lycheva, who, I believe was a “soviet response to Samantha” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katya_Lycheva & http://beautifulrus.com/katya-lycheva-dove-peace/ Did you know about Katya? Was her trip to the USA covered by US media at all?

Regarding Smantha’s mom, I can only imagine what a tragedy it was for her to lose her daughter and her husband. Just please tell her that many Russians (I’m sure thousands, if not millions), myself including still remember Samantha and that her life had a big impact on their lives (at least on mine).

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Yes, she was an amazing child! It is always good to bridge cultural gaps and try to build peace with others, no matter the nation. I try to do this in my blog, but am not always successful.

Re: Off. About salaries.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

All lawyers must pass this exam, it doesn't matter if you're doing transactional/contract work, or arguing in the court room. There is the famous example of our late President John F. Kennedy's son, JFK Jr. He failed the New York bar exam three times after he graduated law school, it was a big story in the media each time. Poor fellow! :) I don't like the U.S. system. I think it's better to train lawyers in specialized schooling, and then make them work for a few years in an apprenticeship model. Honestly, law school teaches you very little about the actual practice of law. You really can only learn by doing it, same as most professions. I was lucky, because I was already doing legal work (as a paralegal) when I decided to go to law school. Therefore, I knew that I was getting myself into, and the realities of the profession. :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

What a sweet poem! I love it. :)) No, I have not heard of Katya Lycheva and I didn't know about Samantha until my Russian friend told me. Katya was probably covered in the media, but back then I was younger and not so concerned with news or world affairs, so I don't recall her name. It's very tragic that this girl died so young. :(( But she leaves behind a very important and purposeful legacy, and accomplished something great in her short years on Earth. This is more than most people achieve.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

We are still just "people" not enemies! I promise. :) I don't remember this Reagan initiative "IT in the USA"?

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm glad I could teach you something new. :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I will be sure to pass along your condolences. I have always been disgusted by politics, that's why I prefer to focus on ordinary people in this blog. :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

These are all excellent questions, thanks! I will be sure to ask, and report back. :)

[aavenger.livejournal.com]

I know, Shannon :) And the exhibition was pretty large and travelling all across the USSR with the last advancements with the IT field, also demonstrating capabilites of computer graphics for movies - showing fresh scenes from "Back to the Future" and other movies of 80's :)

You can read a brief synopsis here (http://habrahabr.ru/post/249651/) and it seems that the entire magazine is also available for download across the net :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks! I'll take a look at the link tonight.

[aavenger.livejournal.com]

Hope you will enjoy this flashback :)

Re: Off. About salaries.

[liver22.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for your reply Shannon, I'm sorry to say, a bit distracted from the topic of our conversation here, so I think that it is better to defer discussion of the common elements of the legal sphere before future solar days)), because I had more questions on exam system you described, but unfortunately I have a problem with time, so I think this interesting for me is the dialogue came to an end, but I hope in the future to come back to it.
With great respect to you!
Rəhmət!