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by Fred Kirby December 15,
2004
Last week was one of those
times when I despaired for the human race. I read the following excerpts
from a variety of papers: “A child dies of starvation every seven second
and each night 800 million people go to bed hungry.” The church’s silence
is questioned, “over the number of dead Iraqi civilians (largely women and
children) through…indiscriminate bombing.” “1 billion children live in
poverty.” And, “MPs push for sharp tax cuts.”
The same week came the reaction to the Supreme Court’s judgement on
same-sex marriage.
Battles cries were sounded everywhere to deprive citizens of their rights.
There is outrage directed at the Court for deciding that lesbians and gays
should have the same rights as all Canadians. This, though the Court took
nothing away from the right of faith groups to bless any marriage they
wish. Yet the righteous indignation continues to rise.
But where is the rage over a child dying every seven seconds? Better the
righteous indignation of those so violently opposed to same-sex marriage
be channelled into stopping those millions of preventable deaths. So much
energy and resources are put preventing a minority of Canadians their
equal rights when it would be more just and humane to direct it at the
tragedy happening daily in Iraq? Women continued to be abused and murdered
in Canada. Where is the public rage over that shameful blot on our
country? Is it any wonder there are a billion children living in poverty
when one of the richest and most developed countries in the world, Canada,
does not have the moral capacity to eradicate poverty in its own country.
If I despair it is because I live in a wealthy province within a rich
country where everyone could live in security free from hunger and cold,
where children could be truly cared for and receiving the education they
need. But it does not happen because we think more of tax cuts than
schools; we value trips to the sunbelt more than warmth for a child; we
indulge our own but deny a hungry person regular meals. Living just for
ourselves does not forge a nation where all are present at the table.
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