WHERE ARE THE PRIORITIES TODAY?

Some days there is very little that is news-worthy on TV, Radio or in the printed media.  That is probably a good thing, because it signifies that things are jogging along just right in the world - something that is not always the case.

Today - this morning - it was a different story.  There was much to be told by all.  The Russian built Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed in Indonesia supposedly (at the time of writing) killing all on board. A huge explosion in Damascus managed to kill many more. Mr. Kofi Annan is "mulling over" an invitation to return to Syria to meet with President Assad.  The results of the Greek election have threatened all sorts of things in the Euro Zone thereby affecting the economy world-wide.  One of the FBI's 10 most wanted people who had killed two and abducted two others shot himself and the two young abducted girls thankfully were found safe and well.  Then there was also the ongoing and important news about the bomb that was discovered which was made in Yemen and was heading to blow up a plane en route to the United States, but never got that far.  So much there today - enough to occupy a whole news hour.

Did that happen?  No.  CNN, which prides itself on its good news reporting, gave the prime headlines and the largest amount of air time to the fact that President Obama would be attending a dinner at the home of Mr. George Clooney in Hollywood and it would be the biggest fundraiser ever to be held for a President and also probably the most glamorous because of all the so-called celebrities who would be attending. Reporters, political analysts and others - including Mr. Wolf Blitzer - told us that those attending were paying $40,000.00 each for the privilege of dining with the President and Mr. Clooney.  Six million dollars would be raised from the 150 people who paid for their food.  Another 9-million would be raised from a raffle bringing the total raised in the evening to $15-million - all of which is supposed to go to Mr. Obama's re-election fund.   We were also informed about the jewels and gowns that would probably be worn at the event.  Finally, when all of that was finished, we were briefly given a report on the rest of the news.

What I found disturbing - apart from the fact that those reporting the event were so exited about it, you would think it was the most important thing that ever happened - is that it seems people have absolutely lost their sense of priorities. where have these priorities gone - the unemployment, the homeless, the jobless, in fact the entire economy?  Is it really necessary to spend all the $15-million on the election campaign when there is already over $200-million sitting there?

If you take just $1-million of what is collected at that dinner, it would go a long way to help those many poor in New Orleans who still have received little or no help following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 despite President Bush's promise at the time that he would get things done quickly!   What about helping the homeless in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other places around the U.S.A.  Are they "out of the loop" and so forgotten?   What about spending some of it to improve the schools which in some places are so bad the children can hardly sit in them.  

I live in a country that is struggling to deal with the situation of poverty as it moves forward.  Some of our people live on not more than $20.00 a month per family, and some other countries in the world are in the same situation.  I have no argument with Mr. George Clooney.  He does more and spends more of his own resources than the majority of well-known people in helping the under-privileged in the world.  Just look at his work in the Sudan.  Wouldn't it be better to channel these $40,000.00 per person donations to such causes as helping the underprivileged, rather than to an election campaign where most of it will be used on staff salaries and advertisements that "bash" the opponents.

 I have no doubt that many will disagree with me - but that is fine.  I never expect everyone to agree with me on every matter (though it would be nice!!!), but I have to say that in any other so-called civilized country, an event such as the one I mention would be regarded as nothing less than obscene. Just where are the priorities today?