Chelsea Boothe
I believe that everyone has a responsibility to save the world
Over Easter break I held my new nephew, slowly rocking him to sleep, and as I looked at his sweet, innocent face, the delicate fingers wrapped around mine, all I wanted to do was to find a way to shield him from the pain of the world. I want him to live in a world without war, pollution, abortion clinic bombings, hate rallies, children running around with AK-47s, or holy men and women being killed for what they believe.
I believe that it is not acceptable to wait for someone else to make the changes that are necessary to provide a better world for those who are yet to come. We have a responsibility to both the very young and the unborn.
All too often, it is easier to say that our own personal problems and worries are too consuming to worry about the pain that goes on around us. But, I believe that it is because of this ego-centered viewpoint that we allow so much hate and discrimination. I am well aware that there are many distractions in our daily lives. Some of us are economically poor and have to worry about bills and the rising price of gas. Others have ailing parents and friends in Iraq, and are totally consumed by worrying about their specific lives.
As important as each of those worries are, as I listened to my nephew breath in and out, I realized he may be called some day to fight in the war on terrorism, because it isn't going to end any time soon if we, the American people, don't do anything about it. He may have to live in a world where there is not enough fresh water even in America, because our political leaders aren't doing enough to help fight the national and global pollution problem. There are many scenarios that I believe he may have to live, but I also believe that each of us, especially the well-educated, have the responsibility to make sure that he doesn't have to.
In March, I asked Bishop Gumbleton, a world-renowned promoter of peace and justice, how one person can make a difference and change the world. His reply was to go into downtown Erie and serve the poor, stop buying clothes made by children in sweatshops, and to essentially change my lifestyle.
It is not enough to simply wish for a better world, and it is not enough to wait for others to create a better world. I believe that it is essential to be the change. The Buddhists are right in their philosophy that we are all connected. When one person suffers, we all suffer. Your suffering is not unique to you, and the African woman with AIDS does not suffer alone either. We all suffer together, and by realizing this we should begin to help stop the suffering. It is not enough to end our own suffering; we must work for an end to everyone's.
About Chelsea Boothe
Chelsea Boothe is a Senior History Major, with Minors in Creative Writing and Religious Studies. Chelsea will be doing a year of service through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Raleigh, North Carolina, and then, she states "I am open for suggestions." When asked what she likes best about Mercyhurst, she replied, "I absolutely love how students are able to really get to know their professors and relate to them on a personal level. Doors are always open, ears are always prepped, and judgements are left in the hallway."