When we view photographs of war-torn bodies, piled-up corpses, or starving children, are we changed?
During the course of the genocidal conflict in Darfur, the number of children who have been killed, raped, wounded, displaced, traumatized, or endured the loss of parents and families is well over 1 million. Most of these children have suffered multiple forms of violence, loss, and deprivation. Moreover, their futures are bleak in ways we can only now begin to discern, though that bleakness will come into steadily sharper relief as humanitarian organizations slowly withdraw their financial support for current efforts on the ground.
Children, especially younger children, are not simply more vulnerable to disease and malnutrition (especially during flight following attacks on villages); they are in many respects more vulnerable to violence. They often cannot move quickly, or at all, to escape attackers. Wounds are more likely to produce mortality. The loss of family members, especially parents, is much more likely to be seriously consequential, even fatal, for children. Children, because of their physical weakness and inability to resist, are much more likely to be the victims of abduction, which has been rampant in Darfur since the outbreak of major hostilities.
The other day I came across a blog that rated events that cause extreme pain. The event, human condition, "dying from starvation" was at the top. Dying of leukemia was number two. However, "obesity during high school" was close behind. Obviously the creator of the rating scale was from a "first world" country. People can recover from severe degrees of starvation to a normal stature and function. Children, however, may suffer from permanent mental retardation or growth defects if their deprivation was long and extreme. Overweight high school children can often "cure" the social isolation and humiliation from being fat through diet and exercise. A few sessions with a mental health councilor can help soothe some of the emotional trauma caused by their excesses.
I am not making light of the obesity problem in western nations. Overeating makes us miserable and ill. The increase in the numbers of young adults suffering from diabetes is linked to obesity. However, medical advances means that it takes longer to kill us, so we keep on eating. The term "child wasting" may seem very harsh, but that's what it is! In developed countries like Canada, the United States, Australia, Europe and so on, we waste food and resources and goods and time and energy. In third-world countries, children are being wasted.
The cultural differences and influences are extremely different from one part of the world to another. Here in North America, we (generally speaking) focus on physical appearance and materialism.
In India and Pakistan and Africa, children focus on surviving the day.
It takes, on average, four pounds of grain to make a single pound of meat. Meatier diets geometrically increase overall food demands. I can't solve world hunger. However, I am trying to change. I'm Eating food! Not too much. Mostly plants.
I joined Bloggers Unite. I am posting on 5/15/08 "cause I feel like I owe it to someone".
If you want to help, the easiest way may be to read: One Grain At A Time.
When you finish, enjoy: The "Vice President of Cake" politely declined.
The Shadow is a fictional crime fighter created by Walter B Gibson. The character is one of the most famous of the pulp heroes of the 1930s and 1940s. Made even more famous through a popular radio series, the Shadow has since been featured also in comic books, comic strips,television, and at least seven motion pictures. Regardless, the Shadow is best regarded for its radio years, in which pulp crime fiction received perhaps its most compelling broadcast interpretation.
In the early eighties, Howard Chaykin set comics on their ear with the ground-breaking American Flagg!, a series that didn't just synthesize many of his themes into one cohesive work, but also brought page design, lettering and space into the overall effect of a book in a way that few had attempted. In the mid-eighties, DC tapped Chaykin to reinterpret the classic pulp hero The Shadow for a modern audience.
Even after decades, the unmistakable introduction from The Shadow has earned a place in the American lexicon:
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!"
Waldo County, situated in mid-coast Maine along scenic Penobscot Bay, has genuine New England character evidenced by working port towns and quaint rural villages. Visitors are awed by the area's unspoiled beauty. From striking coastal views to sweeping mountain vistas, dramatic natural settings abound. In addition great care has been taken to preserve and refurbish numerous historic landmarks, homes and buildings. Consequently, the Maine of yesteryear is still found here.
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