Blog #8 Copping Out Vs. Helping Cope

First, to dispel potential confusion: I have not blogged lately due to a death in the family, the details of which I may go into later to relate to this course. In other words, I owe the readers a few blogs, which are to come.

This week, though, I cannot help but to talk about a major current event, which got me thinking about a particular attitude regarding HIV: "If I don't have it, it is not my problem."

We all know what is going on in Japan (Don't worry, I will get to the relevance later). Okay, if you have been "living under a rock", too consumed by Spring Break mode to read yet, or simply following a usual routine devoid of attention to the news, I suggest reading articles at Huffingtonpost.com. Most, in my opinion, are without any partisan bias, informative, and easy to read.

Do you know what is going on? Good. Or bad. Ugh, being informed is so bittersweet isn't it? Now you have a choice. You can A. Feel sympathy while also feeling helpless-but at least you know what's going on, B. Feel sympathy and try to do something about it, or C. Not care. I'm not sure whether the latter comes naturally, is some practiced defense mechanism in place so that you don't feel any pressure or pain, or if it is blatantly chosen based on knowledge and your moral perception/form of logic.

I am generally an A or B person. I have heard the arguments for not coming to Japanese aid, such as America needing too much help itself to bother, the situation not being as bad as Haiti since Japan is not a developing nation, etc. There are several reasons that, while understanding how these notions may have emanated, I can't help but disagree. I can't see how this can be seen in an insignificant way. It has been said that the disaster rivals World War II in devastation and it is apparently the 4th worst earthquake in history.

I don't see why it is so difficult to help multiple causes. If we had the mentality of only helping those who need it most, we would run into several large issues. Who is to say what is the worst, when everything is relative? Do you have some tangible way of say, numerically categorizing disasters or human need and pain? Even if you could do that, imagine all of the groups that would go unrepresented and unassisted. The context I put it into dealt with my sorority's philanthropic efforts. Coincidentally, we help an organization that raises money for awareness and a cure for pediatric AIDS. While AIDS can be pretty terrible, chances are there are many people who don't believe it is the worst thing that could happen to someone, or that this particular group needs assistance the most. That's fine, but imagine is these people had a right or the power to take away this group and put it toward what they believed needed it the most. Imagine if all volunteer efforts went to one disaster or one disease or one nation. It does not seem very logical. Even worse, what if nobody helped anything that had nothing to do with them, in which case, when it finally did pertain to them...they probably would not have the ability to do much about it.

I am sure there are some cases where organizations temporarily shift their efforts to help with a very current problem, but generally I do not think funds are sacrificed from one need to go to another. Then, there is the argument that Japan can take care of themselves. A lot of people would think that about America as well, but I bet that we would be pretty upset if other wealthy nations did not help us during Hurricane Katrina. Not only that, but from the other side, if we did nothing to help them we would be criticized and the information could be used against us in the future, influencing other nations in helping us. This works on an individual basis as well. I know that the ten small dollars I donated to Japan this week would probably have gone to a movie ticket I did not need.

Japan is obviously no third-world country, but the impact the disaster has had cannot be ignored and probably is unimaginable from this far away, no matter how much we read or watch the news. I have read firsthand accounts of those impacted by the Tsunami in Indonesia in which survivors detail their losses and express their sympathy for Japan, wishing they could do something even though they themselves lost everything. Perhaps 10,000 people, the estimated death toll in Japan, seems like a number. Maybe it is even a smaller toll than another event's. There are deaths everyday we don't know about. Regardless, those people had families who are now suffering. Those people had jobs with companies that are now suffering. Those companies are suffering, so survivors are suffering. With globalization, it is inevitable that other nations are now suffering. In some way, it could have a negative impact on you. It is confirmed that UCF students were even in Japan at the time of the earthquake.

No matter how they started out, many of the resources Japan would need to "take care of themselves" could in fact be the ones that they lost. Despite what existed before, there are hundreds of people without homes or jobs, water or electricity, etc. that need to be accounted for as their resources are displaced. The infrastructure of the city and the way it runs has been torn apart. Because pain is relative, I view suffering or discomfort as a deviation from a norm. Compared to what they were, Japan is without a doubt hurting. From my perspective, I am in pain everyday, but it could definitely be worse. That does not mean I am not frustrated by how it hinders me, or that because I don't need as much help as a paraplegic, I don't need help at all.

Imagine even all of the sick survivors in Japan. Hospitals resources are being taken up, people who need electricity and water to survive don't have it, and even AIDS patients may not be getting the care they need.

With HIV, it seems that some people don't care, or don't wish to help, because they are uninformed or because it is not personally relevant. Even though I touched a lot on Japan, I think this view unfortunately encompasses so many things and is the mentality of many in regards to HIV/AIDS. It could happen to anyone. It happens to people who in no way "deserve" it. It happens to people who are affluent even, but they never thought they would have to pay the bills for HIV or need support. I intend to help whatever way I can, because it is now a passion. If I can't help financially or physically, I want to help perpetuate the truth. Still, while AIDS seems in dire need of defense, I truly believe that if I had the means, time, and knowledge...I would want to do this for anything. Sometimes we are limited it what we can do, but thankfully organizations are specialized for that reason. Help is distributed. You can't do something about everything-chances are you can't even totally fix one thing- but does that mean not to do it all? It helps when you have a connection to an issue, but as long as some sympathy is involved, you can always at least try SOMETHING. There is a lot beauty in this world, and a lot of ugliness that allows us to see it. Odds are the planet will never be completely cleansed of what makes it hurt, but that does not mean we should sit back and do nothing about anything that does not immediately effect us firsthand.

Did You Know

King Mswati III, the king of Swaziland (a nation profoundly effected by HIV), supposedly believes that HIV-infected people should be wiped out. Interesting how even an official leader, though apparently corrupt in other ways, can be so insensitive about a disease that is so prominent within the very land he rules. How directly must something impact an individual before they become inclined to do their part to help?

To read more, visit this article.