Water Is Life

I can't believe I forgot to post something for World Water Day, as clean water for everyone is the issue I am most passionate about. Many of the problems suffered by impoverished communities can be solved by access to clean water. It can be stated simply: Untreated surface water carries pathogens that infect, debilitate, and even kill those that drink it; Groundwater is naturally filtered and therefore potable.

A simple community well can mean the difference between surviving and thriving. Millions of women and children spend their days gathering unsanitary water, making education impossible. Sickness from unclean water prevents parents from providing for their families. Most of us in prosperous countries take for granted the fact that the water in our toilets is cleaner than what many are forced to drink. I have seen firsthand the joy that clean water brings to people who have not had it previously.

http://thesweetestthing-family.blogspot.de/2011/03/her-village-gets-clean-water.html

This problem can be solved in our lifetimes, so get involved with one or all these great organizations:

http://water.org/

http://www.charitywater.org/

http://www.tapwater.causevox.com/

Santorum redefined

Okay, I’ve been silent long enough. Is the GOP serious with Rick Santorum? He said that JFK’s assertion that church and state should be separate made him sick. He then went on to quote James Madison who ironically was an even more ardent supporter of this separation than JFK. The founding fathers wisely set up a system where freedom of religion was absolute, but religious organizations could not dictate legislation. Are you really that blind to history (and current events) Mr. Santorum? Theocracies, be they Christian or Muslim, don’t work. A republic, like the United States, functions because its leaders are accountable to the public. The intrinsic problem with religious leaders dictating policy is that they cannot be questioned. When people believe that their leader is the mouthpiece of God, be he the Pope, the Ayatollah, or Warren Jeffs, they follow orders without questioning motives or outcomes. Now, can anyone guess what happens to a leader whose authority is unquestioned?

"We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief, nor will we ever. Church and state are, and must remain, separate.” –Ronald Reagan