Do you know if they know it's Christmas?

If Bono from U2 has taught us anything, it's that there are people in the world much less fortunate than us. Even as I write this, children in Africa are starving to death from famine and getting diseases from malnutrition and harsh living conditions. While there are people out there that care about this and are actively helping those in need, the majority of the first world population are perfectly content to lie in their recliners next to their fireplace, turn on their plasma TV, watch Live Aid and say that they care. Of course, it would be ignorant and cruel of them to say they don't care. I'm sure they feel very sympathetic watching that eye-opening documentary about flood and famine, before turning over to the news and complaining about the light drizzle that's to be expected in the local area.

I am being slightly hypocritical. I; like most others, feel genuinely sorry for those people. But am I inclined to go out there and make a difference? Am I inclined to research the topic further beyond the TV shows? Am I inclined to donate two bloody pounds to charity to aid a starving boy in Africa? The answer is obvious and is one that hopefully you will think long and hard about. The simple truth comes in three general responses: "It's not my job," "How will two quid make a difference" and "It's their problem." Would you answer like one of these? Would you donate money? Would you fly to Africa and give your soul in the people there? Or would you simply say you feel sorry for them?

The people who are out there dying do NOT need your pity. Quite frankly, if you wasn't living life luxuriously enough to own a TV, you would have no clue as to what is going on over there. By watching that TV and saying you care, you are effectively looking into the eyes of a thin African boy in rags, tutting and sighing in dismay and then casting him aside. Maybe it's because we first-world citizens are spoon fed this emotional crap by the the media, showing us the horrors of life over there, yet providing little to no insight on how and why we should help. Maybe it's because we have no real experience of living in such conditions. Or maybe it's just ignorance. So next time somebody says they care, tell them to stop lying to themselves, to go home and watch their TV's and forget about such an audacious notion. It's what would happen anyway.