I have grown a little older and more cynical - and never was it clearer than while I watched this video. I assumed, as it started, that it was going to be a joke of some kind... most of the videos I get sent these days are, after all.
Then, as I watched and realised it wasn't a joke, I wanted nothing more than to be able to laugh at it. Whatever it was that was coming, I wanted it to be silly, saccharine... an inadvertent joke, with itself as the punch line.
But finally, as I got further, I realised just how important this video was...
No matter how jaded you are... no matter how many times you've made the argument "but it's more complicated than that"... this video, this message, is the point we should all start from.
We pass off sentiments such as this as "simple", "too broad". We ignore such advice by saying such things as:
- we need to think about the bigger picture
- the economy is important too
- it's just not that simple
- we create enough food for everyone in the world
- we aren't trying hard enough
- "we shouldn't break what we can't fix"
This is a message from 1992... I thought it was filmed today when I first saw it... and the really sad message there is, a child could tell us all of this 16 years ago and we're still not listening.
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1 comment:
That was a phenomenal speech and I bet she was on her way to a great career!
However, I'm not sure she did all her research. The United States gives 2 billion dollars annually worth of food to countries in need. No matter what you do, chances are you will have poverty somewhere. I think you have to look at the picture as a whole. The world as we know it today has come a long long way since medieval times. And as much as some might disagree we are 10000 times better off today then back then.
It is a shame that 5000 species disappear every year from the earth. It's also terrible that we have to destroy forests and things of that nature. On the other hand, how else are we going to supply things like shelter, and products made from trees to people. I believe the bottom line is people have to do what people have to do to survive. It would be great though if we could find that perfect balance between everything.
Great Post! I hope to read more.
-Mike
http://www.greenchicago.braveblog.com/
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