Relative Something

Earlier this week, I came across a commentary, by T. D. Mischke, in my local paper, The StarTribune, that resonates with the way I see things in this world. I remember having the same feeling that he relays, when I first saw the statistic that the drought and famine in Somalia has killed more than 29,000 children under the age of 5 in the last 90 days. This continues to happen right now, as you read this! It breaks my heart to realize that I remember similar news being reported from Ethiopia when I was young. There were campaigns, back then, aimed at solving the problem of world hunger. I think most people felt that would eventually happen, similar to the way humans have solved other health epidemics through the years. It makes the current story that much more demoralizing to learn.

Children are dying in a famine as we go on blithely about our lives

I hope you will take a moment to click the link and read his words.

There are plenty of comments following the article that offer different perspectives of ways to interpret this current situation, but I think tens of thousands of children dying of famine stands as a despicable reflection on the human race, regardless the finer details. Will we ever get it right? I have my doubts. Meanwhile, we have to go on about our lives, blithely, or not.

If I am who I ought to be, or who I one day hope to be, those dead little kids shall haunt my dreams tonight.    T. D. Mischke