So you may or may not have heard… Probably not as it isn’t exactly the biggest news ever, but it is the first news in a while for me that has really motivated me to go do something about it… I am referring to the article below. (Please read! I don’t think I have ever sent a mass e-mail like this before, so please give it a bit more attention than you would some random spam…)

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/11/25/ot-081125-shinerama.html

In quick summary, it basically says that this group of Carleton students responsible for selecting what charity to fundraise for over the next while has withdrawn from supporting the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) because they think/thought CF was a disease that only affected Caucasians, and even then primarily only males. They decided they wanted to choose a charity that supported a more diverse portion of the population.

So, ignoring for a second that CF affects both males and females indiscriminately, and while it is currently more prevalent in Caucasians, this also includes people from India and the Middle East… I feel that even if CF only did affect white males that withdrawing support is just a ridiculous move, and like the one student in the article says, a case of “political correctness gone horribly wrong.” I feel what they did is a lot like saying that they won’t support HIV/Aids research because it primarily affects black Africans, which is not representative of the general population of the world.

Yeah, so, I’m not really asking for anything in particular here. I just wanted this idiotic move made by the Carleton Students Union made more public, and to let people know that this decision will cost the CCFF close to a million dollars in funds. If you really want to help, it isn’t that hard… Just share the story with anyone you think might be interested and maybe if we’re really lucky or something the decision might get at least partially reversed…

Also, if you see those small collector bins at the LCBO or something telling you how Cystic Fibrosis is like drowning inside, maybe considering tossing in a few extra bucks or a $50 bill or something. (Remember that you know at least one person with CF! And that in my case I am very very lucky to have a very minor case of cystic fibrosis for the time being… There are many who are much much worse off than I am, and that money will primarily go to helping them, I have little doubt.)

Anyway, cheers guys, hope life is going well for you, and thanks for humouring me in reading this e-mail.