Amen
Phoebe, Sep 12, 2006 @ 12:44

Around 5760 children die EACH DAY (4 per minute, 2.1 million each year) from illnesses associated with a lack of drinking water, basic sanitation, and a bad level of hygiene – the equivalent of 30 Boeing 747s crashing each day.

If natural ressources were shared fairly, every single human being on hearth could have enough to eat, drink and basic medical care. It is because we, developped countries, don't want to lower our life standards that others die everyday. And the more inequalities there are, the easiest it is to generate hate.

So I don't mind praying for those who died in airplanes or air conditioned buildings on 9/11. But let me pray first for those who will die of hunger, as you are reading those lines, maybe eating your sandwich in a air conditionned office.
Hobbes, Sep 12, 2006 @ 13:40

Source: http://www.watertreaty.org/stats.php
Hobbes, Sep 12, 2006 @ 13:42

Take a chill pill and use that bit of wisdom our gradmothers use to impart - "If you have nothing nice to say, then don't say anything."

Just because one asks to spare a thought for those who perished on 9/11 doesn't mean noone thinks about the plight of those suffering/in need around the world.

Also, you might want to exercise a little discretion/decency and common sense - with 5600+ members on this site, there might be a member/members who lost someone close to them that day. Not very nice for them to read this comment.

Tweety who is feeling "snappish" today.
tweety, Sep 12, 2006 @ 19:20

Sorry if you've been hurt by my message above. It was not intended to hurt anyone's feelings.

Anyway, it does chock me and hurt my feelings to see the inequality of press coverage depending on who's the victim. I understand the practical and logical reasons why 9/11 was the most press covered event ever. But I just can't accept the silent death of 5000 kids a day. The 9/11 victims are dead. Most of them were actively part of the unfair world trade system. Tommorrow 5000 kids are real inocents, that could be saved, if we only tried.

For all that, my personal anger against media, market and governments shouldn't have influenced my empathy for the victims, whoever their are and regardless of how guilty they might have been, I do agree. Sorry for them.
Hobbes, Sep 12, 2006 @ 19:51

Stop comparing wars in Libanon with the Shoa, 9/11 with children in Africa etc. Since 9/11 the world is no more the same and I'm so angry with this people they made this. Since then, terrorisme is everywhere, and this people dont stop planning attacs....even in our quite country, especially in Geneva, like the planned attac against a ELAL airplane in Geneva
freedy, Sep 12, 2006 @ 21:25

Here's a few things that might surprise you . . .

I do volunteer work for a US organization whose goal is to use the world's latest technology to provide clean and low cost (if not free) drinking water to every person on the planet.

Also, I am an active child advocate politically and educationally for poor immigrant children and their families who arrive to the US from all over the world as refugees or illegal immigrants.

You and I share the same concerns, and probably politics. Nevertheless, I have, and hope others have the emotional intelligence to put politics aside for a few minutes on 9/11's fifth anniversary without believing it's a slight to others presently suffering in this world.

By my original post and info on my profile, you probably made some assumptions about me - especially since I'm from the US - NY no less. That's ok, I've been faced with those assumptions ever since moving to Geneva. Please do realize, though, that not all of us Americans are wrapped up in only what happens in the US. There are a lot of us doing good beyond our borders - we just don't crave the spotlight.
3PuttBogey, Sep 12, 2006 @ 23:09

Tweety that just because we remeber one thing doesn't mean we are forgetting something else, all things have their time and place.

I also agree with you Hobbes, but then I think about the amount of aid that has already been sent to these countries (maybe not as much that could have been sent)the amount of people all around the world who do make sacrifices in their lives to try and help those less fortunate. And it has been seen time and time again that people have tried to help, and with all the aid that has been sent, the problems of famine should have been quenched. But they haven't, why? the answer is very often not because of people living selfishly but very often due to the corrupt african leaders, who will not allow the aid to reach the people who need it. The situation is not as simple as we change our lives, and share, their is so much corruption in Africa that we could change our livestyles all we want, but the truth remains that not much will happen until the corruption is stamped out.

There's my two pennies

Simon
DJ_Symcard, Sep 13, 2006 @ 02:20

And it is probably good that sometimes we hear of people who suffer in their flesh from poor living condition. After all human lives matter no matter where people where born. Not to say that they are interconnected (small world theory).

Well, the media do not care about much this type of concerns so as many institutions have other priorities.

My view is that we may enforce democracy in our daily life (family, work, etc.), but it is not a priority for everyone. We may enforce that everyones life and feelings matter, but it is not a priority for everyone either. These are goals that are worth an entire life of commitment, and no one has to meet them all.

The nice thing is that everyone having different concerns, it is enriching to meet... :)

Cheers,
B.

brooster, Sep 13, 2006 @ 13:56

That's ridic. If you want to make a daily post, about Darfur, or water, or what-have-you, then do that. Don't diminish. So much of that is thinly veiled anti-Americanism, which is sooooooo unoriginal.
Jennifer, Sep 19, 2006 @ 00:40

Just for a handle on how incredibly lame is your comment:

I could reply, if someone talked about how horrid were the Bosnian rape-camps, "hey - so what - by graduation, 33% of women at my University had been the subject of date-rape or some other form of molestation" (true statistic).

But if I did that, I'd be a certified ass.

As you are, when you bring up some other issue, in light of 9/11.

When you say "my grandmother died", do people reply "so what, BOTH my grandmothers died - and they died in a big truck crash". Just something to think about.

Less people died in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, than on 9/11. Pearl Harbor got the U.S. into World War II. In short, for the U.S., it is a big freakin' deal.

The least you can do is be silent, if you don't agree.

Jennifer, Sep 19, 2006 @ 00:50

3PuttBogey: Your post is right-on.

Anyways, many of us here in Geneva are working professionally towards the public good. So frankly, someone waving (insert-latest) tragedy in my face, and telling me that something that touched me, my country, friends and family is diminished because of (insert 2nd tragedy) is just insensitive and has a hang up. I mean, deal with it, get over it, "next", and whatever. Every country has something to criticize. If someone can't address you as a human being, that's their problem.

You don't need to apologize for being a New Yorker, or for your nationality. You don't even have to point out that you do volunteer work (which is terrific).
Jennifer, Sep 19, 2006 @ 18:01

re: " The 9/11 victims are dead. Most of them were actively part of the unfair world trade system"

Dude. If you feel this way, give all your salary to charity, wear a gunny sack and 1 CHF flip-flops. Quit sailing and give that money to the poor. Otherwise you are a hypocrite.

If you use a bank, transfer money, conduct business as an artist (get paid for it), buy clothes, stereos, music or any items, rent or buy property, rent or buy sailboats - you are part of the world trading system. Do you deserve to be blown up for sitting at your expensive computer, and using expensive software? I guess so.

At the risk of sounding religious, I recall that Jesus debunked this kind of talk - hypocrisy about living a normal life when poor people existed.

Jennifer, Sep 19, 2006 @ 18:07