BuzzFlash Reader Contribution

CONTRIBUTOR ARCHIVES  

How Can We Give So Little to Help, But Spend More to Hurt?

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Mary MacElveen

In one day, Mother Nature herself became the ultimate destructive force taking out the lives of 12,500 innocent people in Sri Lanka, nearly 5,000 in Indonesia, and 4,000 in India as reported by the International Red Cross. They also expressed concern where diseases like malaria and cholera could add to the toll. These numbers are far greater than the attacks that befell us on September 11th, 2001. A far greater destructive force took out these innocent souls than the bombs that came upon our shores and attacked us. A magnitude 9.0 has a more destructive force than four airplanes used as a delivery system to take out innocent people. Words fail many of us in expressing our feelings when it comes to the massive loss of life as experienced by these people.

Did the world stop on this very day as it did on September 11th to pay homage to these innocent souls? Where is the collective sympathy of the leaders of the free world? Is Pres. Bush asking us to sacrifice anything or to go shopping as he did shortly after September 11th?

As we all know, hundreds of billions of dollars have gone into the destruction of mankind over in countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, but only a fraction goes towards helping these people who have suffered such a tragedy that you and I cannot even comprehend.

As it stands right now, the United States is set to send over $15 million dollars in aid to the Asian countries, and the 25-nation European Union promised to quickly deliver $4 million. That is far too little, especially considering that in one day 22,500 are now dead. Where is the outrage in giving so little to help these people?

I want to know how the leaders of the free world can look at themselves in the mirror having giving a fraction to help, when spending billions of dollars to destroy lives. I want to know exactly where is the morality lesson in giving so little to help those left behind. I would not scream nearly as loud at our tax dollars being used to help, rather than to hurt. In fact, it would give me hope that mankind did indeed still have some humanity left.

The leaders of the free world will pay defense contractors billions of dollars in no bid contracts to wage war, yet very little is given to scientists to help predict these devastating forces of nature. We as human beings must and can do better than that. How is this acceptable to all of us?

Mother Nature herself is sending us so many signals of her displeasure, and we are not listening to these messages. Case in point was the four destructive hurricanes that hit the state of Florida this past year.

Being a citizen of the United States of America, I will only direct this towards Pres. George W. Bush. How do you justify only sending $15 million in aid to help where you will spend upwards of $200 billion to hurt? Where is your compassion that you have always stated that you have? Well by this example, none can be seen.

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION

[Estimates Tuesday afternoon had risen to over 52,000 dead. The Associated Press reported that an additional $20 million "line of credit" would be made available by the U.S. to augment the earlier $15 million in aid promised.]