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• The magazine illustrated how 40 to 50,000 years ago, starting in Africa, early humans spread out very gradually up through the middle-eastern countries, turning west into Europe, and turning east across Asia, and over the Bering Strait to the Americas.
• What is so amazing to me is how Scientists tie humanity together genetically by a common ancestor in Africa and how our genes are all so incredibly similar. Indeed we are so very much like our great grandparents of 40-50,000 years ago that one should proclaim all humans alive today truly are cousins, and certainly "family".
• And yet over time, we have become separated not only by geography, language, and cultural barriers, but also by differences of education and economics. In many distant countries, members of the family of humanity struggle with terrible poverty, isolation, inadequate education, and political chaos. Add to this out-of-control tuberculosis, AIDS, and water-borne illnesses especially affecting the very young.
• Solutions for struggling countries could come with adequate education. Training people in medicine and nursing could provide for structure to give appropriate prenatal, hospital, and outpatient care. Sharing education in community organization could give needed emergency services, disaster relief, proper water management, and modern medical care. Planting knowledge could grow stability, out of disorder.
• Some would say the US is viewed by the rest of the world, especially those living in the Middle East, as a big bully intent on pushing our customs and our way of thinking down everyone's throat. Many believe our emphasis has been more with military and political control rather than community education and understanding.
• This is not to say chaos should be left to run without rules and control, but I submit the true enemy is ignorance: theirs and ours.
• I believe we could fare better in the eyes of our neighbors if we provided more humanitarian good by sharing our resources of education, especially in medicine and nursing. And then we could get to know our neighbor too.
• We could do better for our cousins in need.
• Dr. Rick Holm wrote this editorial for "On Call®," a weekly program where medical professionals discuss health concerns for the general public. "On Call®" is produced by the Healing Words Foundation in association with the South Dakota State University Journalism Department. "On Call®" airs Thursdays on South Dakota Public Broadcasting-Television at 7 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. Mountain. Visit us at OnCallTelevision.com.
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