Did you know that 21 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have recently had flooding rains, leaving 1 million people in need of help? I had no idea until I received an email from World Vision. And now the flood waters will provide ideal conditions for the spread of disease - like malaria and such. Did you know we used to have malaria here in the US? But we were able to use DDT to eliminate it (and we still have birds somehow!), though the world won't allow Africa the same benefit (even though studies have shown the proper use of DDT is not so environmentally terrible after all).
Are people really compassionate if their ideas look friendly and caring but really have harmful results? Or are they ignorant or even manipulative? Some want to increase the welfare state in the name of "helping the poor", but maybe that just makes people more complacent and dependent, robbing them of the drive to change or get a job or whatever. "Give a man a fish" vs "Teach him how to fish." Maybe we need to teach fishing more often, enabling people to take care of themselves, restoring their sense of dignity and pride.
And what about all these "undocumented immigrants?" Some people think they should have full rights like American citizens?! Drivers licenses, in-state tuition, safe havens... what in the world?? Just because they managed to sneak across the border and their own country is poor? What about all the people sitting on waiting lists to get into this country the legal way? If you want open borders, then tell everyone to come on in! But don't discriminate based on who has easier access. Maybe Americans could give up their citizenship and sneak back in and then we'd all have free healthcare.
Free healthcare? Government healthcare? Socialism? Just like Great Britain and Canada where you have ridiculously long waits and people turn to self-treating or private doctors anyway? Wow, that sounds great. How about some sort of transparency and accountability in healthcare? (My own doctor's office could not tell me how much a physical costs when I called them - "it depends.") Doesn't anyone have good ideas and the courage to stand up for them? Would they get any publicity or media attention if they did? Could they get elected?
Sigh! Sometimes it's happier to not pay attention to what's going on in the world. Ignorance is bliss, right?
No comments:
Post a Comment