There are many needs that go unanswered in our world.  There are millions of people who go without food or water; children who go without the love and care of parents (either because of parental neglect or because their parents have died of diseases such as cancer and AIDS);  people who are denied access to healthcare due to monetary considerations or simply because the healthcare is unavailable in their area of the world.  There are caregivers who go without sleep or time for recreation of the soul and there are elders who go without the love and care that they need.

I recently learned of some starting statistics concerning the spending practices of those living in  America.  I’m not picking on America here; these are just the statistics to which I have access.  And, for the rest of this article, I’m going to refer as Americans, anyone who is living in the United States.

First let me say that America, by a huge percentage, is the biggest provider of monetary support and food and relief efforts to the world.  We should be proud of that.  I love America and am very grateful to live here.

There are some things we could change.

Did you know that:

• The United States is only 4.5% of the world’s population and yet we consume 20% of its resources
• Less than 6% of the world’s population owns a car (how many do you have?)
• We spend 40 BILLION dollars a year on WEIGHT LOSS products
•                      45.5 BILLION dollars a year on pets and their products
•                      31 BILLION dollars a year on ice cream
•                      45 BILLION dollars a year on tabacco and alcohol products
•                      WE SPENT 1.2 billion DOLLARS IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS ON ADVERTISING FOR THE ELECTION!
•                     and then…… 500 million dollars a year on Alzheimer’s research (NOT billion)

The World Health Organization estimates that it would take 20 billion dollars a year to provide food and potable water to all fo the world’s children.

It would take even less to provide some respite care for caregivers so that the 40% who die BEFORE the person for whom they are caring, might last a while longer.

Any thoughts?