Putting my money where my fingers are.

( – promoted by buhdydharma )

So, yesterday in a diary about the looming shortage of uppercase I’s and P’s (not to mention the dire virgules (“/”) epidemic (warning: link to the GOS) there was some back and forth about “heads in sand” and “trying to silence discussion” to which I responded:

There are HUNDREDS of places in the world where people are dying RIGHT NOW… of starvation… of genocide… of apathy… of dehydration and NONE OF THOSE PLACES get 1/3 the screen time here (or anywhere else on the web) because they’re just not “SEXY” in an anger inducing way. And the next Israel vs. Palestine diary that seeks to HELP anyone may be the FIRST of these diaries I’ve ever seen.

I was referred to THIS DIARY by the Droogester which has some GREAT links for giving aide to the people who are actually suffering in Israel, but then… as if on command… the WHAT ABOUT YOU MIRROR on my computer screen was automatically enabled and suddenly I was staring right at myself.

So, with that in mind… Zimbabwe.

FROM REUTERS:

Rains could worsen Zimbabwe cholera epidemic

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 2 (Reuters) – Seasonal rains could worsen a cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe that has already killed more than 1,600 people, a senior international Red Cross official said on Friday.

The outbreak has heightened the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe and the opposition are deadlocked over a power-sharing deal and the veteran leader is resisting Western calls to step down.

Look, there is nothing about what’s going on in Zimbabwe that is any less tragic than what’s happening in the middle east… is any less about history and poverty and fighting over diminished resources… is any less pointlessly driven by two sets of people needlessly at war with each other… is any less worthy of our time and concern and donations… is any less worth fighting about and for.

The only difference between Zimbabwe and that other region of the world is that, well, it ain’t as “fun” and flame inducing to argue about who is at fault.

And so… the people of Zimbabwe suffer in relative blog silence, unthought of and unconcerned over.

Now, I don’t know enough about the history or politics in Zimbabwe to start a big flame war that will garner a lot of attention (maybe I should just add the word RACIST a lot of times in my tip jar), but I do know how to post a link to DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONALS GIVING PAGE and DOCTORS WITHOUT BOARDERS and ask (in this time where we are all taking it on the chin) if you can’t find an Andrew Jackson or three (to follow my five) as a means of helping someone even less fortunate.

(Or, if, for some reason, your boat is better floated with the tragedy of Darfur, you can go to SAVE DARFUR and give away two lattes and a double, vente, mochafrappastarbucks.)

And if you can’t, and I understand why most can’t, maybe consider finding a way to start arguing about Zimbabwe (or some OTHER equally dire circumstance) so it gets its due attention and support.