The Plight of African Albinos

[west milly Tom]

I don't really know how to approach this but here goes. I watched a 20/20 special on albinos, for laughs because Shelly and I were having a laugh tonight http://fep.abc.go.com/fep/player?src=abccomjs&show=166626 and there was a half hour segment on the plight of African albinos, Tanzinian particularly.

It was the worst thing I ever saw. It made my spirit weep. In Tanzinia there are a slew of witch doctors that believe the material from the leg of an albino is good for some magic juice, or potion, or whatever they do, so they're killing children. They're killing them in front of their families, and maming them, and making the families be quiet through the whole episode under threat of killing their other kids, or husbands/fathers whatever. Think what you will about me as a person but I will never be the same after seeiing this, and I'd like to help out in some way.

I know there are domestic causes that even I think are more important, but I just cant let this go. I feel like something big needs to be done in spite of the mpwfcharity thread. here is the donation website http://www.underthesamesun.com/home.php

Again it's not my cause and I have nothing to do with the charity but for fuck's sake this was awful. I know around the holiday season things get tight but I also know .netters have big hearts. Thanks.

Side Note: If you're wondering what kind of jerk I am watch the abc link, its horrifing.

[AngelAmy]

Youre a braver man than I (well i am not a man at all but still...) i saw the previews for that special and knew i wouldnt be able to sit through it. it looked absolutely horrible.

[JohnCharles]

I may try to watch.

[razorboy]

I'm going to guess you mean us Micks.

[Alice S. Fuzzybutt]

I saw the same 20/20 episode.

I was thinking of the albinos plight today when I put lip balm on (JuJu Chang put the Chapstick on the child's lips). I was wondering if there was a place to donate money for their needs (specifically, sunscreen. I'm maybe two notches above albino myself! I cannot imagine being an albino in Africa!!)

I'm so glad you found that site!!!!!

[JohnCharles]

Umm... That was one of the hardest watches I ever had.

[west milly Tom]

Umm... That was one of the hardest watches I ever had.

Def.

[Furtherman]

Children are still regularly sacrificed in rural India as well for the same superstitious reasons.

[topless_mike]

east philly ted would have made this thread funny.

[west milly Tom]

Bump :)

[red_red_red]

Bump :)
i don't know if i have the stomach to watch this..i'm still lamenting

[GregoryJoseph]

I am always conflicted about stories like these.

On one hand it feels like we should step in and try to stop any human rights violation, but on the other it feels like we'd be imposing our beliefs and morality on others if we did.

[sr71blackbird]

This isn't Star Trek and we have no Prime Directive, so if we want to screw up assholes who are ignorant enough to kill and hurt kids, we have that power and that moral obligation! If some Mormon douche said he can marry and have sex with ten year olds, we would storm the compound.

[GregoryJoseph]

This isn't Star Trek and we have no Prime Directive, so if we want to screw up assholes who are ignorant enough to kill and hurt kids, we have that power and that moral obligation! If some Mormon douche said he can marry and have sex with ten year olds, we would storm the compound.

We can enforce laws in our own country, but should we be enforcing them around the world?

[west milly Tom]

We can enforce laws in our own country, but should we be enforcing them around the world?



Its not about laws, its about the common thing that makes us all human. I agree with with you about trying to enforce our laws around the world. This is not a law of man it is one of spirit. For real man I know tjeres lot of causes especially domestic, that deserve more attention. This One is just particularly disturbing.

[sr71blackbird]

What should we do, turn a blind eye on it? If thats the case, did we have the right to enter into WW2? Should we have let the Nazi's exterminate the Jews? After all, it was their "culture" to be that way.. Im not trying to be a dick or imperialistic, but who are we to say which children are worthy of saving then? If their culture tells them that this is acceptable, were is the line drawn? If I lived there and had an albino kid, Id move the hell out of there. I dont know why these people still live there, but Id move.

[TheMojoPin]

What should we do, turn a blind eye on it? If thats the case, did we have the right to enter into WW2? Should we have let the Nazi's exterminate the Jews? After all, it was their "culture" to be that way.. Im not trying to be a dick or imperialistic, but who are we to say which children are worthy of saving then? If their culture tells them that this is acceptable, were is the line drawn? If I lived there and had an albino kid, Id move the hell out of there. I dont know why these people still live there, but Id move.

We didn't "enter WW2" to stop the Nazis. We declared war on Japan because they attacked us. Hitler then inexplicably declared war on the United States. War between Germany and the United States was not initiated by the United States, and as such it was not declared by us to stop anything the Nazis were doing, inculding the Holocaust. It was not the simplistic "good vs. bad" morality play you're presenting it as.

And if you really can't figure out why these people don't "just move," well, think harder.

[conman823]

This isn't Star Trek and we have no Prime Directive, so if we want to screw up assholes who are ignorant enough to kill and hurt kids, we have that power and that moral obligation! If some Mormon douche said he can marry and have sex with ten year olds, we would storm the compound.

Its not about laws, its about the common thing that makes us all human. I agree with with you about trying to enforce our laws around the world. This is not a law of man it is one of spirit. For real man I know tjeres lot of causes especially domestic, that deserve more attention. This One is just particularly disturbing.

This One is not anymore disturbing then any number of Human Rights violations going on world wide. It is NOT our place to Crusade around the world preaching and forcing our morals on anybody. While your there are you going to shove Starbucks, the Internet, and Microchips down there throats also? How far do you go when imposing your will on someone?

Every crazed dictator in History imposed there views on people and they believed they were right also.

If they don't like it, then rise up and change your own surroundings, overthrow your local dictator/warlord and ask for World assistance, until then it there own problem.

[west milly Tom]

This One is not anymore disturbing then any number of Human Rights violations going on world wide. It is NOT our place to Crusade around the world preaching and forcing our morals on anybody. While your there are you going to shove Starbucks, the Internet, and Microchips down there throats also? How far do you go when imposing your will on someone?

Every crazed dictator in History imposed there views on people and they believed they were right also.

If they don't like it, then rise up and change your own surroundings, overthrow your local dictator/warlord and ask for World assistance, until then it there own problem.


Please tell me you're a board character. This is crazy talk.

[TheMojoPin]

Please tell me you're a board character. This is crazy talk.

It's crazy talk to not support the idea of us going anywhere we want in the world and imposing our will?

[sr71blackbird]

Mojo, you are right, but I still equate it as the same type of situation. Didn't we get involved in Bosnia because of 'ethnic cleansing'? I know what you mean though. I think it should be the responsibility of anyone who witnesses or is aware of an abuse to get involved and try to stop it. If your nrighbor was being their kid out on their lawn, you wouldn't say anything? If you stopped at a light and saw a kid being abused through the window of a daycare center, would you just look away?

[TheMojoPin]

Mojo, you are right, but I still equate it as the same type of situation. Didn't we get involved in Bosnia because of 'ethnic cleansing'? I know what you mean though. I think it should be the responsibility of anyone who witnesses or is aware of an abuse to get involved and try to stop it. If your nrighbor was being their kid out on their lawn, you wouldn't say anything? If you stopped at a light and saw a kid being abused through the window of a daycare center, would you just look away?

This isn't our "neighbor."

It's unfortunately too subjective. In a perfect world we could swoop in and "fix this," but that's simply not realistic. If we help a certain people, why not those over THERE, or those or those or those or those? And so on and so on. Getting involved in foreign conflicts for "moral reasons" or obligations is a subjective, slippery slope that ultimately and unfortunately causes more problems than it solves.

[Furtherman]

It's like when we swooped in and got rid of an evil dictator called Saddam, but there are a dozen others, many more evil and dangerous, that are still in power.

Why not go after them?

[Whitey]

Being your in West Milford you can relocate them to Clinton road with the rest of the albinos.

[brettmojo]

Yeah, we should totally save the Rhinos.

[sr71blackbird]

The difference is that these are children, innocents. An adult that allows a dictatorship to abuse them is deserving of the abuse. We got together and fought against an oppresive government. A child has no power. That's why I used the children in my example.

[Scarlet Spider]

Everyone knows albino leg juice is the only cure for the common cold.

[TheMojoPin]

The difference is that these are children, innocents. An adult that allows a dictatorship to abuse them is deserving of the abuse. We got together and fought against an oppresive government. A child has no power. That's why I used the children in my example.

The suffering and mistreatment of children is hardly unique to these circumstances.

[conman823]

Please tell me you're a board character. This is crazy talk.

Ha! I guess its OK as long as Mojo agrees with me!!

[conman823]

The difference is that these are children, innocents. An adult that allows a dictatorship to abuse them is deserving of the abuse. We got together and fought against an oppresive government. A child has no power. That's why I used the children in my example.

The children may have no power but the Adults do.

See it's a vicious cycle, the children see the Adults go along with it. When they become Adults, THEY go along with it etc, etc, etc.

The only way they will change is when THEY want to change themselves.

You would be resented, ultimatley, if you go there and "tell them how to live".

CHildren are a good example, would you like me to come over to your house and tell you what your doing wrong with your kids? Would you like me to deem you unfit, and put a bullet in your head then take over the raising of your Kids?

[sr71blackbird]

From what I saw, the parents of these albino kids were not exactly thrilled at the idea of their kids being mutilated and killed. I guess my complaint is falling on deaf ears. Anyone who has a kid would be disgusted and shocked by this story.

[sr71blackbird]

The world at large should get together and declare any child abuse as something intolerable. If we all announced in a unified voice, that culture would likely feel the pressure and change its ways. It seemed like a traditional thing to them and something done by the unenlightened.

[Alice S. Fuzzybutt]

We can argue about the United States as a world leader and a presence in global socio-economic politics, but what about the plight at hand?

I do hope people donate.