Forget About Our Own Neighborhoods.... Let's Help Third World Countries!

Recently there has been plenty of media attention dedicated helping eliminate AIDS in Africa. Many companies have announced that they will be creating products whose proceeds will go to fight AIDS in Africa through (PRODUCT) ^RED. Even the president has asked congress in his State of the Union Address that $1.5 billion of American taxpayers' money be sent to the cause over the next five years as well. Everyone is being begged to stop the genocide in Darfur, but no one cares about the suffering in their own backyards.

(PRODUCT) ^RED was created by U2 singer Bono and DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa) Chairman Bobby Shriver in 2006. Now of course AIDS in Africa is a major issue there, 60% of the HIV/AIDS infected population in the world lives there. These statistics aren't really that staggering considering it is suspected to have originated in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. We can't really expect them to stop the epidemic on their own considering many of the infected are primitive people who didn't excel in being civilized or having economic growth even before the AIDS epidemic. Yes, it's a terrible thing that people are dying. But it's even worse that they continue to pass it to one another and their children when they should know the dangers by now.

I for one, refuse to buy any (RED) products or give money to a cause overseas when there are people here in our own backyards who are dying of starvation and disease. Diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease affect millions of helpless Americans each year. Very little can be done to prevent many of these deadly life changing diseases. Even AIDS is still killing Americans who cannot afford the antiretroviral treatment that would prolong their lives.

Many Americans live on our streets begging for a living, but so many people walk by and donate their money overseas, ignoring the pain and suffering of their countrymen. American children are growing up orphans because their parents were killed senselessly in their unsafe neighborhoods. They have to walk to school in fear because drug deals and prostitution are riddling their once safe route.