sometimes it's difficult to be an english major, partly because you don't really focus on anything that isn't fictional. you don't read books that don't end the way they weren't supposed to, or about characters whose flaws aren't charming. it's nice, but at the same time can be a little disenchanting. because then, when you're working on your minor in anthropology, you deal with the complete opposite. you are thrust back into reality and you learn about things that are awful and that can't be fixed with an extra paragraph. i just finished paul farmer's infections and inequalities for my medical anthropology class and couldn't feel more helpless, hence this post. the book was about tuberculosis in haiti {which is something that never crossed my mind} and how, although the disease is treatable, it's still a really big problem because of the lack of healthcare there. i can go to the hospital whenever i please, and these people can't. it makes no sense, and that's because it shouldn't make sense. what's even more frustrating is that there isn't a simple solution to this problem. well, i didn't plan on ranting so much, but sometimes it's OK to rant a little, right?
oh, and on the bright side...for a living, paul farmer offers healthcare {as he co-founded partners in health} to people living in poverty in haiti and rwanda. he's said that they've helped too many people to count, which were golden words to hear after reading that book of his.
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