The world is pretty messed up.
I'm not really blaming anyone. That's just the way it is.
I feel like there is a myriad of problems one can get active about. Everything from the people we interact with, to the air we breath, to the food we eat.
But not a lot of people are "active." Activism isn't a field a lot of people get into.
I don't think it's the fault of humanity. I believe that there is an inherent good in people, for the most part.
But here's why I think most of us aren't activists:
1. Most of the time, we don't even know there's a problem. The media doesn't cover it. Interests groups hide it. Everything is swept under the carpet we are standing on and it would take a lot of effort to uncover it all.
2. Even if we do uncover it, that's a crapload of dirt we have to clean out. Where do we start? Where do we go to get the tools, the finance? Who do we go to for help or advice?
3. We have lives to lead. We have money to earn, families to look after, studies to complete. These things take up a lot of time and brainspace already. We can't afford to do anything productive about AIDS in Africa, factory farming, or health care. Sure, we'll donate a few bucks here and there, read books about it, have heated debates with our friends, attend lectures or teach-ins, but chances are we can't dedicate our mind, body, and spirit to it.
I feel like I talk about a lot of issues, but I can't say I am doing anything about them.
Thinking about the world and all it's problems makes me feel so feeble and insignificant.
Like this issue that has been on my mind lately.
Obesity. People associate obesity with rich, white Americans who can afford to overindulge themselves with rich, fatty foods. Truth is, rich people are among the healthiest in the population. They are the ones that are taking yoga classes, have personal trainers or their own dietitians. And if they do get fat, liposuction is the easy solution.
The people most prone to obesity are minorities living in inner cities, where there are more McDonald's and convenience stores than grocery markets, where it is cheaper to buy a fast food meal than a home cooked dinner. They are not eating unhealthy food out of choice, but out of necessity.
Obesity is such a huge public health issue. It is a pandemic wreaking havoc across all 50 states. But this issue goes so much deeper than individuals having high BMIs. It's about racial inequities and social stratification. It's about city planning. It's about the economy and money.
And here I am, a college student who grew up in a majority white suburban city. I lived close to at least 4 different grocery stores. I have a mom conscious of healthy foods and cooked healthy meals. I was happy in my suburban bubble.
But now I see the bulges in the carpet, the small tears revealing a mere fraction of the shit that goes on in the world. Things I overlooked all my life because I am one of the lucky ones. Things I can't even grapple with let alone relate to.
So now what?
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
SEX
SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX SEX
Even though it is a vital part of life (without it we would basically die out as a species), sex is still a hush hush topic around the world. People don't want to address it, talk about it, or have anything to do with it. And this denial, this viewing of sex as a taboo subject and a forbidden act, is killing people, literally killing tens of millions of people worldwide. Governmental officials and public health experts have the information, can access the stats, but they still aren't doing much of anything when it comes to problems or issues associated with sex.
Classic example: The AIDS epidemic. Because it was mostly effecting the gay community in San Francisco, the Reagan Administration chose to overlook it. As it result, the research for AIDS/HIV when it matter most lacked the funds and the resources it needed to figure out what's going on.
And even today, we are educating children about AIDS/HIV and other forms of STDs by telling them to abstain from sex.
Dear World, horny teenagers are going to have sex regardless of what you tell them. Show them proper protection so they don't get infected in the process.
Another example: female sex workers. I understand that governments don't want to admit that prostitution goes on, but it DOES. Governments don't have to condone it, but denying that it goes on doesn't make it go away. Address it! Educate people! Require sex workers to use condoms to stop venereal diseases from spreading!
And it doesn't have to be about condoms or other forms of contraception. Male circumcision lowers the chance of STDs. It is a simple, effective procedure that would have an enormous impact on lowering rates of HIV/AIDS. If circumcision is worked into the social context in Africa, for example, there will be lower rates of the debilitating disease. We are so focused on finding a vaccine or a cure for HIV/AIDS, but something like HIV/AIDS can't only be addressed in a scientific aspect. It is also a social problem and could be solved or at least made less attenuated with social solutions.
We need to change our perception of sex. We need to be more open-minded about it. We need to be able to discuss it, address it, and accept it.
I know I don't have much of a voice in all this. I can easily be dismissed as a liberal 20-year old. It probably doesn't help that I go to Cal, an institution with a reputation for hippies and free love.
But this isn't a matter of conservative vs liberal.
This is fact vs. fiction, education vs. ignorance, what is good for the population vs. a population being overlooked and ignored.
And it's infuriating when I read or hear about "adults" and "experts," people who are supposedly more experienced and educated than I, refusing to see things that are so clear and so obvious.
It seriously makes my blood boil.
Even though it is a vital part of life (without it we would basically die out as a species), sex is still a hush hush topic around the world. People don't want to address it, talk about it, or have anything to do with it. And this denial, this viewing of sex as a taboo subject and a forbidden act, is killing people, literally killing tens of millions of people worldwide. Governmental officials and public health experts have the information, can access the stats, but they still aren't doing much of anything when it comes to problems or issues associated with sex.
Classic example: The AIDS epidemic. Because it was mostly effecting the gay community in San Francisco, the Reagan Administration chose to overlook it. As it result, the research for AIDS/HIV when it matter most lacked the funds and the resources it needed to figure out what's going on.
And even today, we are educating children about AIDS/HIV and other forms of STDs by telling them to abstain from sex.
Dear World, horny teenagers are going to have sex regardless of what you tell them. Show them proper protection so they don't get infected in the process.
Another example: female sex workers. I understand that governments don't want to admit that prostitution goes on, but it DOES. Governments don't have to condone it, but denying that it goes on doesn't make it go away. Address it! Educate people! Require sex workers to use condoms to stop venereal diseases from spreading!
And it doesn't have to be about condoms or other forms of contraception. Male circumcision lowers the chance of STDs. It is a simple, effective procedure that would have an enormous impact on lowering rates of HIV/AIDS. If circumcision is worked into the social context in Africa, for example, there will be lower rates of the debilitating disease. We are so focused on finding a vaccine or a cure for HIV/AIDS, but something like HIV/AIDS can't only be addressed in a scientific aspect. It is also a social problem and could be solved or at least made less attenuated with social solutions.
We need to change our perception of sex. We need to be more open-minded about it. We need to be able to discuss it, address it, and accept it.
I know I don't have much of a voice in all this. I can easily be dismissed as a liberal 20-year old. It probably doesn't help that I go to Cal, an institution with a reputation for hippies and free love.
But this isn't a matter of conservative vs liberal.
This is fact vs. fiction, education vs. ignorance, what is good for the population vs. a population being overlooked and ignored.
And it's infuriating when I read or hear about "adults" and "experts," people who are supposedly more experienced and educated than I, refusing to see things that are so clear and so obvious.
It seriously makes my blood boil.
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