Taken for Granted.

I have been thinking. I am an American and here lately I've been watching what has been going on around me and the world and it is incredibly sad. The people of the United States as a whole (not all) take so much for granted and are some of the most selfish people around. We take our freedom of speech rights for granted so very very much. The availability of common products and medical supplies is taken for granted, even down to food. I listened to a radio show last night and the guy was asking people if they thought we should send 18 billion dolars to Africa to help with HIV and aids. Out of all the people that answered the question only a couple actually supported this. We mourn for our astronouts (7) and ar displeased by death but we are not willing to give money to help save lives. This is so dicouraging and degrading to see what my society is coming to. I'm sorry for my rant, it just makes me angry to think of all the people around the world who are hungry and starving or are in need of simple medical attention that are going to die when we could have helped them.

Helping people is good, helping people to help themselves is better.
Throwing money at a problem is not the answer, well reasoned charity and education are needed for the AIDS problem.

i agree with mayhem, in my opinon or government worries about other people too much, i think they need to be putting in all the effort towards fixing our country before we try to fix other peoples. i mean it really sux whats goin on over there but its like mayhem said, they dont need money they need some good honest people with some balls to go over there and say"HEY. damn near your entire country has AIDS/HIV, STOP SCREWIN LIKE RABBITS" ok not like that but you get the picture right?

Should we send 18 billion dollars to Africa to help w/ their AIDS problem? Hell no. Why not? Because I take my son to school every morning, and I see kids that I *know* haven't eaten breakfast, might eat lunch and could possibly have dinner....or not. I see kids that are freezing standing outside wearing clothes that aren't even close to warm enough. I see kids that don't have the school supplies they need because their parents can't afford it. I see kids that can't go to the doctor when they need to because there isn't enough money. I see kids who have never been to a dentist. Charity begins at home. What do you think 18 billion dollars would mean to these kids? A chance at a life that doesn't suck, a chance to get the things that NO child should have to go without. I'm not hard hearted, I don't think it isn't a shame that there are so many people in Africa who can't get the healthcare they need. But w/ my tax money...I think the kids in America who need decent shelter should be the first priority. I think that when we have solved the problems in America, and fed the kids and elderly in America that need to be fed...then we can look elsewhere to send money. But it's absurd to send that kind of money out of the country when we can't even take care of the ones here who need it.

Deb

I am not a cold-hearted person, and I am sympathetic to anyone around the world who is disadvantaged.

I understand what you are saying Deb, but you have to think that at least the kids in US have schools to go to. And homeless people have shelters they can go to for warmth and food.

There are a lot of people around the world who dont have any opportunity to go to school. Who's stomachs are bloated due to hunger. And who drink dirty, disease ridden water for there is no clean water available.

These kids live like this not because of broken homes, gambling addictions, drug usage, unemployment, government welfare policies etc.. (Not meant to be stereotypical), but simply because they were born in the wrong country.

Isnt the saying, "No matter how bad you think you have it, someone has it worse."

My dad works for the wood industries... he's just accepted a job as leadman for a chiping saw. The machines are HUGE and cost lots of $$$ But the bad news is he could lose his job at any moment... it could go out of busness or be sold to some company that isn't even in the U.S.

Before 911 and Iraq the U.S. was basicly nothing more that a bounty hunter for U.N. and 3rd world countries. Back then... If we weren't fighting someone else's war we would give away money to countries while some guy like Bush or Bill takes a small % of the money that was supposed to be given away.

The only difference between then and now is the fact that we aren't being bossed by U.N. and more money is being taken away from peaple. Did you know that when Bill left the office millions of dollors "magicly" reappeared out of nowhere but then when Bush started doing this war on terror thing... those millions dissapeared agian along with other millions that had never vanished before intil now...

Heck... If Saddam gives every man woman and child a gun and we kill these peaple then that might upset other countries to the point of a world war. I'd want to hang on to some $$$ if that happends wouldn't you?