Great Minds Gone Wrong

You know, I’m not against good ideas, even wacky ideas, but this one just feels wrong. It’s an ad for an LED faucet light that turns running water a bright blue — handy for washing your hands in the dark, I guess. While people anywhere — even in our own country — don’t have access to water that won’t hurt them, it’s just too self-indulgent. Most of you reading this, like me, can count on clean, relatively pure water in our homes in endless quantities. When I read about Kashechewan and the dismal state of the residents’ water supply, I was appalled, yet not surprised. While the community’s immediate issues are being addressed, dozens of other reserves continue to face similar problems. They are miles away from us and easy to ignore.
Years ago, I belonged to a women’s group who made donations of school supplies to Kashechewan. Our efforts seemed small and a bit pathetic at the time, but I think now that small voices yelling together that can make a difference.
Stephen Lewis is not a small voice. He has written a book about his experiences in Africa and his passion for action on the AIDS crisis there. When I read about this recently, I felt small and pathetic again, sad and useless. But no, I am a small voice and I am YELLING. I am going to think about and talk about what people like me can do.