Dori asked me to post this for her, and I'm glad to do it. She got it in her email, and there is no link.

I can only post the text as the Pulitzer prize winning photo of a child dying from starvation that accompanied the text cannot be posted. The photo was taken in Sudan in 1994.

The photographer, Kevin Carter, committed suicide from depression a few months after taking the photo.

Death by starvation is a common occurrance in many places around the world. It's a social issue that is far too often ignored by the reporters who bring the news to this land of plenty you and I live in.

Whether or not you're a believer in any religion or deity or higher power, it's the right time of the year to reflect on how much we have, and perhaps not spend so much time wishing we had more.

The text was found in Carter's diary.



(No Link as none was provided in the email, but the email asked that the story be shared.)

Catherine

Thank you Catherine.

Sorry the picture couldn't be shared. It is a haunting one, depicting how very fortunate we are to not have this happening to our loved ones.

Our happy times do have a Charles Dickens shadow hovering behind them. While I was still able to give gifts I often gave contributions to helping organizations in the gift recipients name.

Some people liked that, some were unbelievably put out that they did not receive something they could hold in their hand.

A gift to hold in your heart is so much more important!

I was reading it to the pound and we all got into howling in sadness. How sad to read this example of another way of being. It would be tragic, but it is so much a part of our civilization that it is explained away as natures way of being. Starvation is just the victims problem- location of birth seems to be the decider.

Far too often it is the women and young children who are its victims.

We don't have to look far to see this kind of situation- on the reserves and indigenous peoples of North and South America, it is and has been used as a social control item, like Aids and other policies of extermination- through wars, disease, starvation, environmental destruction, climate change, drought, market saturation with our goods- etc. etc. You know , policy issues, not natural disasters.

Funny how we turn to gods for our answers but look at nature for our excuses. Makes more sense the other way, especially if we take more responsibility for things we do ourselves. Nature and gods take far too much blame for what is really humanities doing.

Giving is truly greater than receiving, and people are energized by giving. This holiday season, buy one less major gift and send the money to a fund that will get to these people, and help to balance the scales of morality so they tip in the "Other's" direction.

Caring and sharing- what's really missing from the world today.

This was so powerful the person who took the picture committed suicide afterward.

Has anyone seen the ads for 'voice of Darfur' (sp). Very powerful advertising--catches my attention every time it comes on. If I could, I would be trying to help any way I could for these poor people. As it is I do contact my Congresscritters, but don't have money to donate to the cause.

If anyone wants the picture that came in that email, I still have it in my inbox. If you have a nonidentifying email location, let me know and I will send it to you.