Oh facebook

I am always amazed at the audacity of some people... and this is coming from a girl who tends to speak her mind even if it might rub some people the wrong way. In my own defense, I am outspoken, but I am also a nice person... but that's another post entirely.

Anyway, I despise when people boldly speak about things they clearly have to knowledge of in the first place.

A simple example: If I stop and ask you for directions, I would MUCH prefer you be honest and tell me you don't know how to find my destination, rather than pretend to know exactly where I'm going and send me halfway around the country with your stupidity.

Another example: Deep down in my soul, I cannot bear to read the idiotic "...99% of you are too scared to repost this..." statuses on facebook. Today I read this,

"Homeless go without eating....Elderly go without needed medicines.....Mentally ill without treatment....Troops without proper equipment....Yet we donate millions to other countries before helping our own first....99% of people on facebook won't have the guts to repost this!!!!! Will ...you.....?"

Now if your heart is racing and you want to jump through the computer and strangle the oblivious individual who posted this quote as their facebook status, then you and me... we're on the same page, Homey. If you are wondering why that statement sends adrenaline pumping through my body, then sit back, relax, and open your mind. By the way, my heart is still pounding in my chest.
Here we go my friends, the main problem with that statement is the examples given are completely inadequate and irrelevant for comparative purposes. How can I explain in words how substantial this is? You cannot compare the USA's homeless, hungry, elderly, troops, and mentally ill with say... Ethiopia's, for example. As of 2010, the life expectancy for individuals born in Ethiopia is 55.41 years. They don't even have elderly!!! They don't live that long! And they certainly don't have medicines! They are lucky to have a bed. Many in Ethiopia live in mud huts. Straw for beds. No medicines, people. The beautiful people of Ethiopia are dying from completely preventable and/or curable illnesses and diseases. Everyday. I can guarantee with every ounce of my being, that if the individual who posted the statement described, or anyone else for that matter, spent one measly hour in Ethiopia, they would have a brand new outlook.
In Ethiopia, any type of disability leaves you homeless, walking the streets, begging for food and money. If you are a female, God help you, because you are prime real estate. You are almost absolutely forced into a life of prostitution. Then what will become of your children? There isn't birth control! No one will give you a job. You have no home. Your family shuns you, because of your disability. You will give birth alone, and then what... hmmm? What? How will you survive? How will your child survive?
Furthermore, my brother is a Marine. He has completed 1 tour in Iraq and spent time in Peru, as well. I know, firsthand, the struggles our military faces and want nothing, but the best for the men and women who are protecting our country. That said, you cannot compare our military to the military (if you even want to call it that), in other countries. Ethiopia's military, seriously? Do I even need to explain?

Here's the thing, there's a whole lot of crap going on in this world... a whole lot of crap I don't understand. Here's what I need to say though...

We are all human. It is so disgustingly selfish to disregard life, simply because it is found in another country. Why are the living, breathing, feeling beings across the world less worthy than we are? The bottom line is, the people in Ethiopia (and many other countries) are suffering and dying horrific deaths. The children... be still my heart... the children must endure hardships that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. You must not disregard their suffering. You must not compare their lives to ours in an effort to keep your money on your own lavish countryside. Do not speak of things that you have no knowledge about. And IF you do actually fully understand the lives of the people living in other countries, devastated by natural disasters, disease, war... and still think it is appropriate to stand on your soapbox and insist to keep America's money in America... then well, get off my blog. I very sincerely hope you are never in a situation where you need aid. Because someone might find some ridiculous reason to deny you help, simply because they can. How bad would that suck?