Borders

You know, I've done a lot of traveling in the US and have come to realize that poverty is not across the ocean on some far away continent in some dessert community. Poverty is here in our backyard, waiting for the same humanitarian efforts that have become worldwide movements to save the oppressed of foreign countries. It's really bothered me to hear everyone talk about how we need to save Darfur. (I say this while wearing a grean "Not on our watch. SaveDarfur.org" bracelet.) I'm not saying that the people in Darfur are less important at all. We're all children of the same God and every life is valuable in his eyes. What I see is borders causing a huge problem. If we got rid of the borders and had one global community, one human race, instead of the multitude of differences that separate us, we could concentrate on the fact that we're all humans, all worthy of living life, finding peace, and exploring our world without worrying about where our next meal will come from, who is around the next corner waiting to rape us, mutilate us, tear us down or worse, and where we'll sleep at night.

I see the struggle of the Native Americans as equal to that of the people of Darfur. They're a people abandoned, tormented and even forgotten by the rest of the human race. But again, we're all humans. We're all entitled to a roof over our head, the love of a family and friends, the feeling of a full stomach and a warm smile from a stranger. The people of Darfur have been displaced and no longer have any of these things. The people of Pine Ridge may or may not have the love of family and friends. They may share the roof over their head with 20 or more other people and there may be no windows in the walls when the windchill hits well below zero.

And here I sit, in front of my MAC computer, with my air conditioning on, staring at my green Save Darfur bracelet wondering what in the world this world has come to. John Lennon's song "Imagine" runs through the back of my mind and I wonder if that's a possibility. Wouldn't it be nice. . .