Unshelved by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum
comic strip overdue media

Monday, December 29, 2003

It's hard to believe...

that in a blink of an eye, a town can virtually disappear into rubble--CNN.com - Iran's 25,000 quake victims buried. I was watching the news and it sounded as if there was no real way to identify many of the victims; their friends and relatives were most likely dead. An Islamic cleric was doing what he could to help give the victims a proper funeral as backhoes dug graves.

My condolences to the victims and their families. I wish that we lived in a world where there was not so much disparity in wealth and access to vital services. Here in the last few days we have had two earthquakes, nearly the same in terms of magnitude--one in California and one in Iran. It really shows what a difference can be made with enough funds and good building materials/techniques.

Most people in America don't see themselves as rich. They struggle with a high cost of living, for one thing. But even though I barely make ends meet, my two-bedroom apartment must seem like a palace to some. But I suppose I would be considered wealthy by some. Our freedoms, which we tend to take for granted, make us even richer. The sad thing is that there are places where there could be enough money to help the poor, but the resources have been diverted to greedy leaders instead. And unfortunately, no place is immune from that sort of greed.

Perhaps someday we'll live in a world where money does not matter, peace is taken for granted, and each individual can strive up to his or her own potential without being bound by poverty or convention. Maybe that's my idealistic side coming out, but I'd like to live to see that day, or at least come back and experience it. Someday.

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