Pubdate: Sun, 17 Jun 2001
Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (KY)
Copyright: 2001 Lexington Herald-Leader
Contact:  http://www.kentuckyconnect.com/heraldleader/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/240
Author: Scott Neal

OUR HANDS ARE NOT CLEAN

I find it ironic that the same government that puts to death a person
for killing innocent women and children is, at the same time,
responsible for killing an innocent woman and child (the missionary
shot to death over Peru in April).

Another irony is that the same government that sets up the use of
production quotas to support the price of one substance that has few,
if any, redeeming qualities, will at the same time use quotas to try
to curtail the abuse of another substance (OxyContin) that has as its
primary use the elimination of physical pain.

But what I find truly ironic is that we live in the freest society on
Earth, yet we have delegated to our government the problem of finding
solutions to such core human problems while we seemingly sit back and
watch.

We're all on this journey together. Let's be responsible. As a
society, let's admit our participation in the Oklahoma City bombing,
in the execution of fellow human beings, and in the health and
economic problems and addictions of our neighbors. Let's find humane
solutions to human problems that will truly work.

That happens not in Washington, Frankfort or city hall but only when
we are in true community with each other, whether we're in the same
neighborhood or on the same planet.

Scott Neal, Lexington
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MAP posted-by: Andrew