Greed

This past week we have been hearing and reading about the Nobel Prizes. Stories of people who made and are making a positive contribution to society. These stories help us to realize there are good people in the world.Offsetting this good news are the numerous stories of greed and corruption in our public and private institutions.

This week provincial scandals in the Ehealth program and a spin off of this was excessive expenditures by cancer department officials in awarding huge contracts for studies that could be considered needless. Every day there is a new revelations in the banking, industrial and private sector of indiscretions involving money where greed was the motive. Some of the highest paid people in the world are sometimes involved and we wonder why our young people are so pessimistic about politics and government.

I believe there are many good people in and out of politics who are as frustrated as we about our inability to curb or ever eradicate this stain on our society. I look to the youth and see hope. Visiting a high school gives me life and a feeling of renewal as I see a vibrant group of young people who make a difference. The WE program is sweeping America and Canada. This student driven program has stirred up the school populations as never before. School students are going to developing countries and building schools and other facilities. These students ask for nothing but the opportunity to serve and help.Greed is not a consideration.

We can only wish that this enthusiasm will be carried over to adult life. We can use some unselfish thinking and these young people will provide that needed component in our society that some describe as a corrupt society. Maybe greed is an adult disease.