A Time To Give

[SHARPETOYS]

In view of the overwhelming tragedy caused by the earthquake induced tsunamis which engulfed so much of southeast Asia, I encourage all of you to contribute to the relief efforts being mounted to help the survivors, if you haven't done so already.

Here is a link to American and Canadian aid groups accepting donations. Give whatever you can afford, every little bit will help.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/27/quake.aidsites/index.html


Thanks for thinking about our fellow human beings.

Roger

 

[Canadave]

Done! Red Cross

David

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Climbing

Over 150,000 so far.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/31/asia.quake/

 

[PADDY]

Pakistan Earthquake (20,000+ dead). Say a moments prayer.

THIS just seemed the best place to continue in a similar vane.

I'm sure most of you will be doing this automatically, but please spare a thought and a prayer at least for those unfortunate people in Pakistan/India and the NorthWest provinces who have lost their homes and loved ones. Latest figures suggest 20,000 dead and 4 million homeless. I just find it so..., so hard to comprehend that amount of destruction.

Last night I saw one lady who had lost her family, and she told the journalist that she didn't have 10 ruppees to her name (About 10 pence or 5 cents!). Hearing things like that, really puts things in perspective for me (for a short time at least, because sadly it seems to be a human condition to then forget again). I'm sure what I feel will echo amongst others here.

I honestly feel very priviledged and lucky to have been born and bred in a stable western country, during reasonably stable times. Only by luck of the draw have I been fortunate to have been born at all. I'm lucky to be pretty healthy. Only by luck of nature was I born in the UK, but could easily have been born in Ethiopia or Iraq or anywhere else. I might have been born black in South Africa during apartheid, or Jewish in Germany during the 30s. Or, I might have been born as a Pakistani man living in the earthquake hit northwest province and lost my wife and babies. It's only by chance that I wasn't and someone else was.

Only by luck do I have a roof over my head, food in my stomach, a warm home to live in and a loving family of brothers and sister who are not in any obvious, immediate danger.
Only by chance do I have the right to free speech, within reason, and a freedom that far exceeds the rights of many humans in other parts of the world. Where I live, seems safe from any obvious points of natural disaster, such as floods, earthquakes..etc. And my monthly salary is much more than many people make in a year, when I look at the salaries in Developing Countries. But only by chance...
I freely indulge in hobbies such as vintage flight jackets. But right now (and I know this will pass and I'll get things back into perspective folks)..but 'right now,' none of that seems to matter when I see those news images of those poor, poor people, who have fallen victim to nature and lost those people and belongings closest to them.
Because, that could be you, that could be me...it's only by chance and the lottery of life, that it's not.
And I guess, if any of us fall upon hard times, it's good to know that there are enough 'lucky' people like you and me right now, who will be prepared to help you up and off the ground again and not pretend that it's not happening.

Sorry guys, I just felt I had to say that and share how I was feeling and this is as good a place as any to get things off your chest I guess. It's not a begging letter, it's just a guy sitting here doing something that is rather rare for him, and that's sharing his heartfelt feelings about something that has touched his humanity. Good friends, one and all!

 

[BellyTank]

Nice thoughts people-

I have relatives in India, so this maybe has more impact for me personally than other recent tragedies...

Money's already there-

B
T

 

[Mycroft]

Nice thoughts people-

I have relatives in India, so this maybe has more impact for me personally than other recent tragedies...

Money's already there-

B
T

Hope they are okay. And, I just gave for the hurricane, thanks for giiving me a new place to put donations.