"It is extraordinary to me that you can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion to save 25,000 children who die every day of preventable treatable disease and hunger. That's mad, that is mad."
Later in the article the author added:
The Group of Eight wealthy nations vowed in 2005 to raise annual aid levels $50 billion by 2010, $25 billion of which was to go to Africa. But under current spending plans, the G8 will fall $40 billion short, according to a June report by the Africa Progress Panel set up to monitor implementation.
I am reminded of Jim Wallis' comment in his book, God's Politics in which he states that budgets are moral statements. If we want to see where our government's (and OUR) priorities lie, the budget is a good way to discern that!
What does it say about us and our government when noone blinks an eye (who doubted that we would find a way to do it?) at $700 billion, yet we are just are too strapped for cash to eradicate hunger. Is it really a priority? Are we really willing to live out Imageo Dei? If we really believe that each of these children is created in the image of God, how can we possibly just sit by and let them die? Each time another child dies, so does a part of our soul!
Sure, we are talking about a lot of money. $25 billion is a lot of money. Yet, if it means eradicating
hunger and death among the poorest of the poor children in the world it seems like a worthy investment to me.What do we do? That's the part that frustrates me. I know I'm looking at this election through a different set of lenses after Wednesday! I think the first step might be right under our eyes! Click here to find out how you can help! Maybe we need to make hunger a political issue!
.JPG)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment