Comments on: Municipal clinics shutdown, as cholera disaster quickly spreads

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:14:24 +0000

@Tellina Zavala - Clean water was never a right - many people in the US don't have it. Clean water in the US is just something so common place that most people don't even think about it. Turn the tap, out it comes. Some towns it's city water and you pay for it. Some places it's the well in your back yard. On the Indian Reservations, sometimes it's the river a mile from your house, and you boil what you drink. Clean water isn't a luxury for the people in Zimbabwe, either. You don't die if you go without a luxury - that's part of the definition of "luxury". Cholera. That word holds a special terror for me - in college, I had to do a term paper on it. The 1832 outbreak in New York City killed nearly 2% of the people there, and that was with a functioning 1830's style infrastructure. What could happen in Zimbabwe breaks my heart. Ironically, when it swept through NYC, it hit the poorer neighborhoods, and the city response was slower because those dying were not politically 'valuable'. In the 1830s, there was a law that a black man had to have property of $250 to be able to vote, even if here were "free." The neighborhoods that suffered most were the politically disenfranchised. It's like the damned disease seeks the people who are least likely to get help from the 'powers that be' in their area. Part of me wants so desperately for the US to do something - regime change? invade? NGOs can't help, they get kicked out or abused. Another part looks at the news from Zimbabwe and says, "There but for the grace of God go I". Then I look at the US Financial news, and wonder how much grace is left.

Reply to this comment --- @Tellina Zavala<\/a> - \r\nClean water was never a right - many people in the US don\'t have it. Clean water in the US is just something so common place that most people don\'t even think about it. Turn the tap, out it comes. Some towns it\'s city water and you pay for it. Some places it\'s the well in your back yard. On the Indian Reservations, sometimes it\'s the river a mile from your house, and you boil what you drink. \r\n\r\nClean water isn\'t a luxury for the people in Zimbabwe, either. You don\'t die if you go without a luxury - that\'s part of the definition of \"luxury\". \r\n\r\nCholera. That word holds a special terror for me - in college, I had to do a term paper on it. The 1832 outbreak in New York City killed nearly 2% of the people there, and that was with a functioning 1830\'s style infrastructure. What could happen in Zimbabwe breaks my heart. \r\n\r\nIronically, when it swept through NYC, it hit the poorer neighborhoods, and the city response was slower because those dying were not politically \'valuable\'. In the 1830s, there was a law that a black man had to have property of $250 to be able to vote, even if here were \"free.\" The neighborhoods that suffered most were the politically disenfranchised. \r\n\r\nIt\'s like the damned disease seeks the people who are least likely to get help from the \'powers that be\' in their area. \r\n\r\nPart of me wants so desperately for the US to do something - regime change? invade? NGOs can\'t help, they get kicked out or abused.\r\n\r\nAnother part looks at the news from Zimbabwe and says, \"There but for the grace of God go I\". Then I look at the US Financial news, and wonder how much grace is left.'); return false;">Quote from this comment

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:08:33 +0000

@Tellina Zavala -You are certainly right. ZANU PF is in a state of panic. They have never been in opposition before. They need to accept reality. They are now in opposition. They must vacate office forthwith after all necessary hand over and take over and prepare to win the next elections if they are able to reform It would appear that they are not going to do that without a fight. Thanks to MDC, they are still clean of these issues. My hope is to see the people of Zimbabwe organising themselves to confront this regime particularly as the difference is now the same in that do nothing and you die of hunger and cholera or uprising and you die from shooting but the message would have been conveyed Lets try it one more time Mumu MuZimbo hake

Reply to this comment --- @Tellina Zavala<\/a> -You are certainly right. ZANU PF is in a state of panic. They have never been in opposition before. They need to accept reality. They are now in opposition. They must vacate office forthwith after all necessary hand over and take over and prepare to win the next elections if they are able to reform\r\n\r\nIt would appear that they are not going to do that without a fight. Thanks to MDC, they are still clean of these issues. My hope is to see the people of Zimbabwe organising themselves to confront this regime particularly as the difference is now the same in that do nothing and you die of hunger and cholera or uprising and you die from shooting but the message would have been conveyed\r\n\r\nLets try it one more time\r\n\r\nMumu MuZimbo hake'); return false;">Quote from this comment

By: Tellina Zavala

Tellina Zavala — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:28:47 +0000

It is heartbreaking that this government does not want to help its people. Living in the United States has shielded me from much of the health epidemics around the world. To me, clean drinking water and sanitary conditions are rights, but to the people of Harare these are probably a luxury. I agree that swift action is necessary in order to save lives, and i think that a non-governmental organization would help control this outbreak. However, I do not feel that is will stop future outbreaks of cholera or the spread of many other diseases. In order to improve the overall health of its people the government needs to get involved, and get education about preventative treatments that will halt future epidemics. An improved sewage system is needed as well as water sanitation techniques. If the government gets involved and promotes preventative care, then the health of its people will improve.

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