So, a year has come and gone (actually I am very nearly a month late with this update) and instead of having figured out a bunch of things like I had hoped, I believe I am actually a bit worse off. But I'm not going to go on a lengthy tirade about all of my individual woes, instead I am going to talk about something else (but also depressing): starving children!
A couple months ago I saw this little blurb circulating around Facebook statuses that went something to the effect of "Why is it that we are constantly asked to come to the aid of starving children in Africa when there are kids going hungry on our own streets. Post this if you agree" and I was kind of... put off by this when I read it, and so after thinking on it some more I have decided to offer my personal response. Beginning with a metaphor!
Imagine you are a paramedic, and the powers that be in the universe have led you into an alleyway. With you, you have all of the tools with which to perform a wide variety of medical procedures, but no immediate means with which to call for assistance. In the alley with you are two children, both injured. The first one is your own child, and their arm is broken. They are in pain, uncomfortable, but will most definitely survive without your immediate attention. The second child is unknown to you, but they are severely injured and it is clear that they are going to die without immediate attention. Do you say to this second child "Gee, I really wish I could help you out but unfortunately you're not my child." If you would in fact say this, then I'm afraid I am going to say that I think you're kind of a jerk.
The fact is that children in third world country are brought to our attention so much more often because their need is more immediate and much more severe. There are many more of them. They do not have the abundance of fast food, of grocery stores, of (as non preferred as it obviously is) dumpsters over flowing with food. They have adults going blind, falling gravely ill, dying of diseases we can and do cure here without batting an eyelash.
I have been told that there is a child who dies of starvation somewhere in the world every three seconds. If you were to weigh the values, you would very likely discover that the children "here at home" are much less at risk. But if you are that concerned about children in your own country, why not donate clothes locally. Why not donate to local food drives, local fundraisers. If you think something should be done for them, then do something for them. But you don't have to help either or. It is quite possible to donate to both causes.
And alternatively, if you do not donate any food or money in the first place, then you really have no right to be complaining where it goes, do you?
