hunger

I don’t usually post political items since I was taught never to mix politics, religion and dinner.  However, I understand that today is the day that food bloggers are raising their voices (uhhh, typing fingers?) to draw attention to the same topic.  The continuing horror that hunger and famine has spread across the world – particularly in countries you and I will never visit, and in areas we would never travel to – has not, and may never go away.  

Ironically, Foodimentary just tweeted all its followers that today, April 29,  is also “National Shrimp Scampi Day.”  

I think that these two “events” perfectly spotlight the weird, blinded and uncomfortable view we, in this very happy and VERY fat land have on worldwide hunger.  Regardless of the economic water-slide we have been on, it is still an “inconvenient truth” that even our poor have more to eat than most denizens of the shadowy “third-world” countries we regular schmoes know so little about.  And, to be honest, do we really want to know?  Don’t we all hit the mute button when any “feed the children” ads intrude upon our evening’s entertainment (which often ironically consists of watching hordes of gigantic Americans spending 6 weeks in Ranger school trying to shed the pounds they have packed on through diets high in fat and carbs, too many sodas and not enough exercise)?

We know abject hunger and deadly malnutrition exists, we laugh derisively at dolts like Mariah Carey when she says stupid things like she wished she was as skinny of some of those kids in Africa, except she could do without all the flies and death.  

(Christ almighty.  Did she REALLY Eff-ing say that?  We’re doomed.)

Anyway, the fact that it’s both “National Shrimp Scampi Day,” and also the day on which bloggers around the world will stop writing about their new puppies and navel lint, and focus on this ancient, but real and still deadly worldwide epidemic of hunger offers a painful insight, yet wonderful opportunity.

I don’t think that a day like today should be a time that those of us who are lucky enough to be overfed on a regular basis should flog ourselves with guilt and engage in a 24-hour fast “in memoriam” of the starving.  As symbolic as fasting may be on certain occasions and to make certain important points – I think the one-day fast is lost and, more importantly, a little pathetic on a day such as today.  It’s not your fault you were either born in an affluent society, or have gotten yourself into an affluent society – but since you are here, you have lots of resources at your disposal.  The most important of which is, obviously, your money.  

A one-day fast is nothing to people who regularly exist on less food in one week than your dogs get in one day.  A one-day fast only serves to make the fast-er more hungry – maybe more appreciative of their next meal – but does nothing for the larger issue.  Besides, I think people get tired of watching ably-bodied, well-fed westerners engage in meaningless symbolic gestures that only serve to focus attention on the ably-bodied, well-fed westerner and not on the people who are really starving.

So back to the shrimp scampi.  Can you afford to buy the ingredients for a shrimp scampi for two?  Of course you can.  I’m not advocating that you forgo shrimp scampi; but if you can afford shrimp scampi, I know you can afford to part with a little of your disposable income each week and put it to good use for someone else who CAN’T afford shrimp and who wouldn’t even be able to digest the amount of fat in a traditional scampi dish.  

We are incredibly lucky to live in our amazingly wealthy society – if you’re reading this on a computer right now (and if you aren’t, some weasel stole my post and printed it up as their own – call the cops!), you already are more well-off than a huge percentage of the population.   I’m not saying you need to adopt a child, feed a village, or even buy someone a goat, but I am saying your well-placed contribution – no matter the amount – can make a huge difference in someone’s life.  You may even save a life, but that shouldn’t be your goal.  Your goal, OUR goal, should be to give what we can, when we can, and keep in mind how lucky we are, and how much of a difference even our small contribution of time or money (or both) can make.  

Today, have your shrimp scampi if you like, don’t self-flagellate about how you don’t deserve to eat such riches when 3/4 of the planet is starving – that’s just unproductive and illogical.  Instead, make a donation to a respectable charitable organization (check the Better Business Bureau website at www.bbb.org for a list of legitimate charities – there are lots of fakes out there so watch out).  Donate as much as you can, as often as you can and save the guilt for your unreasonable addiction to “Rock of Love.”   

It’s important for us and eaters and feeders, to continue to enjoy what we eat and what we feed others; just as importantly, we must also be as conscientious as we can about WHAT we buy (and eat) and also about what we can do help others around us.  Today, make as much of a difference as you can and go to bed tonight understanding that you did what you could; then wake up tomorrow and do it again.  Realistically, we may never see the end of world hunger – there are just too many things like regime changes, totalitarian empires and sectarian violence that only exacerbate the problem and subject an already helpless population to worse conditions, less food, and relentless violence.  That doesn’t mean we can’t do anything.  The moment we stop trying to help others is the moment we stop being human.  

Give what you can, when you can – be a grateful and respected citizen of your wonderful country, but never forget to be an informed and active participant in the world.

Thanks.