Food for thought...and for the world

Recently I received an email from Krista Shackleford, a friend through church, who wrote an email that chimes with thoughts I have been having lately about the general corruption of our materialistic society.

I've been looking around our world and seeing so much money wasted on, pardon my rudeness, stupid pointless things! This money, which totals to millions I'd wager, could be donated to shelters, organizations (here and overseas), disaster relief, work projects, etc. In disgust, I see:

-Many huge lights surrounding the Clarica building at night (Union and King)
Do they need to light that place at night?!

-"Starfrit" products for your luxury, to do every silly thing you could imagine
Do we need to buy these things?

-Huge Silver City theatres, equipped with lights and gimicks galore
Don't get me wrong, I love seeing movies. But do we need all that extra?

-The rich putting their extra money into second or third homes, swimming pools, golf courses, huge TVs, yachts, etc.
I know it's none of my business what people do with their hard earned money, but I guess I just wish people could give and share more

-REALITY TV SHOWS! Millions of dollars are put into (what I think are) crap shows like Survivor, The Swan, The Bachelor, The Amazing Race, Temptation Island, and I could go on. These shows only promote that immature, catty, greedy and selfish behavior will get you want you want, and people eat it all up.
What if all those shows were cancelled and all the prize (and production) money were donated to good causes? How I wish our world were like that.

Here is Krista's email. Be ye inspired!

1. The excitement was palpable last fall when www.britneyspears.com announced: Canadians can now join the Britney Fan Club for $38 Canadian!

$38 Canadian will also buy:

76 Mango tree seedlings in Burkina Faso

38 sacks of organic fertilizer for gardens in El Salvador


2. US Magazine (Feb 7th 2005) reports that Paris Hilton received $5854 of free goodies at this years Sundance Film Festival (including 4 rabbit-fur coats).

With the $5854 that she's saved, Paris could buy:

2342 pounds of onions for families in Bosnia

Breakfast for 278 Sudanese children for an entire school year

3. Finally, and most ironically...http://www.liposuction.com/howtopick/cost.php reports that liposuction of the hips, outer thighs, and butt can cost "roughly" $8000 American.

$8000 could also:

Cover the cost of drilling 160 wells in Bolivia.

Buy 8000 avocado trees in Peru.

Buy 100 kg seed potatoes for 145 families in Bosnia.

(The donation information in this email was taken from the Mennonite Central Committee ).

   [ posted by Anabee @ 6:32 PM ]