The suffering, a world away

[pegkerr]

I don't know anyone personally in Darfur, Iraq, Myanmar or China.

I don't know anyone personally (to my knowledge) affected by the tornadoes that have ripped up several communities here in the states.

Here on LiveJournal, we natter on (and on! and on!) about our various concerns, but to me today, hearing the news of war, cyclones, earthquakes and tornadoes, they seem just so trivial and petty.

I just want to light a candle today for those who have lost their entire world, who are struggling for survival.

Comments

[katakanadian.livejournal.com]

Not knowing someone personally need not equal not caring.

Blogging wouldn't have completely prevented Darfur, Iraq, Myanmar or China but it can be part of the solution or at least mitigate the severity of the disaster. The human rights abuses around the world happen because too many people are silent. Earthquakes aren't predictable or preventable but maybe one more person donated to aid relief or someone else made lifesaving emergency preparations because you posted.

Much of the footdragging by people who refuse to reduce their carbon emissions happens because they are too caught up in their own world. People insist on driving their kids to school because they are afraid of stranger abductions and yet their child is about 1000x more likely to be killed in a car accident than to be abducted. That irrational fear is contributing to the present and future misery and death of millions of other children.

No, maybe we shouldn't say anything. Maybe it will all go away if we don't acknowledge it. We are all so busy worrying about how we will pay the fuel bill that we can't make the effort to reduce our consumption (and future fuel bills).


When a tree falls in the forest, it does make a sound.