More breathtaking irony
Here's another bit of irony, posted Tuesday by Catez at Allthings2all:
Note: Both the original post and the quote here have been edited to make clear that adequate water throughout the world is more than an abstract concept.
It's World Water Day today. I'm reminded of how ironic the value systems of our world can be. We notice a reminder of the need for provision of adequate water throughout the world, while 41 year old Terri Schiavo is being forced to starve and dehydrate to death.Kyrie eleison.
Note: Both the original post and the quote here have been edited to make clear that adequate water throughout the world is more than an abstract concept.
posted by Milton Stanley at 12:20 PM
7 Comments:
Hi Milton
I'm not sure I would describe the notion of water provision throughout the world as abstract - at least not for the 3 million a year who die from diseases related to the lack of clean water supply.
Still appreciate your writing though!
Very good point, Keith. I was in Olancho, Honduras, a couple of years ago, and the lack of clean water was a major public health issue there. Too many children suffered or even died there from diarrhea caused by amoebas in the water.
The irony is still amazing, but you're right that the problem is not "abstract" at all. I'm going to update the post.
This is my passion as well (like Keith). I studied Medical Anthopology at Stanford and specifically studied Water sanitation in Eastern Africa as aresponse to my experiences as a child with the famine in Tanzania in '72. This is not exactly abstract.
I agree--abstract it's not. Thanks for pointing it out, and please see how I've updated the original post.
Hi guys. Perhaps my wording was unclear. The idea of wanting water provision is important. What I wanted to get at was that often times in the West we take an abstract view of such things - and I know that. People say things like "oh yes water is important", notice it's World Water Day but that's as far as it goes. So what I was getting at was that way of thinking which says "oh World Water Day - that's very important" but there's no practical application. Hence a person thinks one minute that World Water Day is important and in the next doesn't care that a woman is dying of starvation and thirst. I think a bit too much has been made of one word in my post. My point is that people take something important and treat it as an abstract notion. And you would have to agree with that really I think - if they took it to be as important as it is then a lot more would get done. To the commenter who thanked Milton for his writing - well it's my writing in this post. Brad - you studied it. Are you doing anything with that knowledge now? I'd be interested to hear how you might be working on the water sanitiation and provision - so that there's a practical side to the principle and the problem.
I've amended it to properly reflect what I meant. May take a while to show up on Blogger. The words "abstract notion" are now removed. Hold off the lynch party!
I've amended my post to contain your updated phrasing. Thanks for your work, and I'm glad to be able to quote some of it here. Peace.
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