As you know, I take a strong stand against the
widespread promotion of medicinal drugs and environmental toxins.
I know that many people disagree. Some of my family
members believe there is no reason for concern, and one of them even sells
agricultural chemicals in complete confidence that they are safe. They also
believe that governments are there to serve us.
OK, say these trusting, obedient souls among us. Maybe some
chemicals in our water /food/ air/ soil etc. are toxic, and maybe we are being
harmed by them, but they wouldn’t produce them if they were so dangerous, would
they? Our governments wouldn’t let us use/eat/drink them if they were really
dangerous, would they? I mean, drug and chemical companies don't want to do us
harm, do they? Obviously, they consider these chemicals to pose acceptable risks.
‘Acceptable risk’. There’s a dangerous idea, if I ever
heard one. What is an acceptable risk, and who decides?
I might decide that
eating yogurt that is past its due date is an acceptable risk, or a surgery
that just might help where nothing else can.
But how can I,
indeed, anyone, decide what is an acceptable risk to others? And do you
really trust companies and governments with their own financial and political
agendas to make a reasonable assessment of ‘acceptable risk’?
(Who decides what is an acceptable risk for my family? for yours?)
So let me see. Spraying meat in the supermarket to make it look fresh when it's really old so that our children eat aged meat with toxins for dinner is an acceptable risk.
Just as it's acceptable to allow mining companies to poison pristine rivers with tons of toxic waste
and decimate the health and livelihood of hundreds of people?
Just as a hundred innocent lives is an acceptable price to pay for killing 1 or
2 terrorists?
Just as hundreds of people with serious side effects and at least 32 deaths are
an acceptable cost in return for billion dollar profits from a new vaccine?
Just as the extreme poverty, death and hardship of over 75% of the people in
our world are an acceptable cost so that the other 25% of us can live wasteful,
indulgent lives?
Where do the limits of 'acceptable risk'
end? What does it take for us to see that the world outside us runs largely
on power and greed, while we as individuals try to live as decent,
compassionate, just and loving people?
Think about who you trust to determine whether or not a risk is acceptable, and ask yourself if they deserve that trust.
Only you can make that decision.
Find out what you are being offered. Then choose to
live, think and act according to your own assessment of what is
safe, good and true… what you eat, your health care, what you
have\use in your home, how you interact with your environment, with others,
with the world.
You may make some mistakes and have to reassess now and
then, but at least you are taking responsibility for your own life.
© This post is under Copyright to Tosca Zraikat, 2009. You
are welcome to use this article on the condition that you reference this
blogsite as your source. If you wish to contact the author, please
doitnow@dodo.com.au
