I was growing increasingly frustrated as I was discussing the inequities of the world with my dad. His defense was that he had never experienced such extreme poverty so he wouldn't know what it felt like. But can't you see it? Can't you at least imagine what it would be like? Third World countries barely have enough clean water to drink while we, the privileged, are offered at least 3 different kinds of drinking water at a restaurant. We're privileged. We have the comfort of our homes, food, water, education, everything an impoverished family could ever dream for. I kept thinking back to Bill Gates' commencement speech:

"I left campus knowing little about the millions of young people cheated out of educational opportunities here in this country. And I knew nothing about the millions of people living in unspeakable poverty and disease in developing countries.

It took me decades to find out.

You graduates came to Harvard at a different time. You know more about the world's inequities than the classes that came before. In your years here, I hope you've had a chance to think about how - in this age of accelerating technology - we can finally take on these inequities, and we can solve them."


We know so much. We're made aware of what's going on in the world: the ONE campaign, Darfur, Live Earth, etc etc. It's in our music, our movies, TV, newspapers, everywhere. And we can do something about it. I don't know, it just irked me that someone couldn't care that much about what's happening out there. Granted your own issues are always upfront, but can't you at least acknowledge it? Can't you at least realize that you can do something about it even if you've never been through it? It's there, it's real. Like Bill Gates said, we know more about the inequities of the world than other generations. And maybe that's why I was so frustrated.

"You graduates are coming of age in an amazing time. As you leave Harvard, you have technology that members of my class never had. You have awareness of global inequity, which we did not have. And with that awareness, you likely also have an informed conscience that will torment you if you abandon these people whose lives you could change with very little effort.

You have more than we had; you must start sooner, and carry on longer."



—Monday, July 16, 2007       1 comment       back & forth       The knowledge of our generation


I mostly have a really hard time when my mom goes off on "oh well poor people in America deserve it, they all just don't work hard enough, so many opportunities, look at us immigrants!" etc.
Katherine
16 Jul 07 at 1:56 PM