UNLIMITED NEEDS VIE FOR LIMITED RESOURCES
It’s a reality that can be sobering to acknowledge. All the world’s resources are inadequate to solve all the world’s needs. Of course, that’s not a reason to give up trying to accomplish anything. What it does require is an approach to deciding what causes you will work for that is based at least in part on reason.
But wait...are we certain we can’t solve it all? What if the world just devoted more time, money, research, study, and force of will – wouldn’t that conquer every instance of disease, malnutrition, criminal behavior, environmental harm, and weather-related damage? Maybe not, if you consider…
- We already devote vast quantities of resources to tackle the scourges of our world, and although we achieve incredible successes, the overall list of problems to be solved seems to not get any shorter;
- A key resource, time, is limited beyond our ultimate ability to manipulate. We cannot stop the clock while we search for solutions. Eliminating typhoons, if it is ever possible, is years down the road and, until then, we have to deal with the damage suffered;
- Some problems may ultimately be unsolvable and that unsolvability might not be knowable. If eliminating the common cold is never possible, no matter how much is devoted to the effort, will we forever continue to futilely pour resources into the pursuit of a cure?
- There really is a limit to our financial wherewithal. Even reducing every human to subsistence level and forcibly seizing the “surplus” likely falls short of enough. And that doesn’t consider the herculean task of determining how much you can take from people before the incentive to produce is so decimated that you have ever less to grab,
- Human nature, the cause of a significant portion of earthly woes, is notoriously resistant to control.
One result of “too little means to solve it all” is that there is no shortage of guilt being felt. Guilt imposition is easier than ever, thanks to the world wide web. How do you incentivize donation? More often than not, by bringing the tragic consequences of inaction, as often as possible, to the immediate attention of potential donors.
It’s a testament to the inherit compassion of humans that, despite perfection that is ever elusive, many of us soldier on in our work to make the world a better place. It goes beyond just not wanting things to get worse – there is a genuine sympathy, for even those we don’t know, that inspires us.
As you perform service within Rotary and elsewhere…
- Triage the needs and don’t attempt to tackle them all.
- Don’t let the guilt daunt your spirit or consume your life.
- Don’t let futility overshadow the genuine progress and improvement that is most certainly being achieved.
- Work on more than symptomatic relief (Rotary emphasizes sustainability).
- Do what you reasonably can and encourage others to do the same.
- Help where you realize greatest satisfaction.
You will see results.
You will feel good about your efforts.
Life for you and yours will be better.
That’s not a typo. Tigres, which is Mexican slang for jaguars, do roam southeastern Arizona. So do mountain lions and bears. Closer to Tucson, such “urban wildlife” as bobcats, coyotes and javelina abound, sometimes within the city limits and to the dismay of newcomers. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is responsible for managing the state’s wildlife in trust for its citizens. How to best do that poses some unique challenges in greater Tucson, a hotbed of environmental activism while at the same time a community that retains many traditional values of the Old West. Walking the fine line between the two is Game and Fish’s Tucson office, one of only two in the state with a full-time Urban Wildlife Specialist. A jaguar in the Santa Ritas, bighorn sheep in the Catalinas, and a coyote hunting convention on the outskirts of town all figure into this presentation about living with urban wildlife, the four-legged and sometimes, the two-legged.
It was an enjoyable meeting again with the Tucson Rotary after a couple of weeks away from the Wednesday meeting. While the Tucson Classics Car Show is now behind us, there is still a lot of conversation with other members regarding the weather, involvement in the show, and of course, the success of the show. In my opinion, we were once again blessed with beautiful weather, particularly when one considers the thunder, lightning and rain we were having when I arrive at The Gregory School at 4:30 AM! We should all be proud of the hard work and effort we put in to help make the TCCS a success.
from Dr. Heins’ presentation that I’d like to share. (1) There are 74 million children in the U.S. as of 2014. (2) It is estimated that 16 million children (21%) under the age of 18 live in poverty, meaning they probably don’t get enough healthy food to eat on a consistent basis. (3) The majority of children – 64% - live in a family with both biological parents. (I was surprised to learn this!) (4) Based upon her research results, Dr. Heins believes the traditional family unit offers by far the best structure within which to raise children. Dr. Heins shared many other interesting statistics and anecdotes with us, but these are the four that seemed to stand out to me.
