Where the street people have no names

The post title comes from a U2 song of nearly the same name. It seems to best epitomize this sad, yet hopeful story from npr.com. While I can see the benefit of making tourists and citizens more cognizant of and sensitized to India’s vast child homelessness and poverty issues, somehow a walking tour strikes me as a little bit creepy and perhaps too cursory.

Instead of gawking at these poor, unfortunate souls like they are museum pieces or a circus attraction, how about a change of itinerary and volunteering for half a day, a full day, a week, a month, or more. Or, how about taking a shorter trip and donating the remaining funds to an organization that cares for these children.

That being said, it is good to see organizations are trying to improve the lives of these homeless children and that some of the children have successfully escaped a life on the streets. However, with more than 300,000 homeless children just on the streets of Delhi/New Delhi, much, much more assistance is necessary from within India itself and from around the world.

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Protecting public safety

There is an excellent editorial in this morning’s New York Times (Sunday, 1/23/11), entitled “Saner Guns Laws.” It concludes with this important statement about strengthening gun laws in the United States:

“Asked last week about the administration’s positions on these matters, Mr. Obama’s press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said the White House was focused on “the important healing process.” That is part of the president’s duties. So is protecting public safety.”

At the very least, a ban on gun magazines/clips which hold a large number of shots should be reinstated. As the Times so aptly points out:

“The National Rifle Association will counter that Americans need high-capacity clips for self-defense. We’d like to hear how many times in the real world the life of an American, other than a police officer or a combat soldier, was endangered because of an inability to fire 30 shots in rapid succession without reloading.”

Indiana Senator Lugar (R) has recently voiced his support for reinstating the entire assault weapons ban. This despite being up for re-election in 2012 with likely Tea Party opposition.

So, there are supporters on both sides of the aisle. Perhaps, as awful as it was, Tucson really has provided some new momentum to correct a terrible mistake by Congress,when it allowed the assault weapons ban to expire in 2004.  Let’s pray this is true, so there are no more horrific examples like Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois, and Tucson being boldly printed across newspaper headlines or being broadcast 24/7 across our collective airwaves.

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“No” – by Ryan Adams and the Cardinals

Terrific new song entitled “No” from North Carolina’s  Ryan Adams & the Cardinals.

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