Perspective

A federal Justice in Australia's High Court made a comment the other day which really puts things in perspective.

He made an observation while the court was considering an appeal against a man convicted under Australia's new anti-terror laws -- the first person to have been so charged. Justice Michael Kirby's remarks were made in response to the Solicitor-General stating that Australia was more vulnerable to terrorist attacks since the events of September 11, 2001 in the United States.

Kirby said, "Yes, but the Americans, with all respects, have become obsessed with September 11. That is not an event that occurred in this country, and I think we have to keep our eye on the threats to Australia."

Justice Kirby added that more people died every day from AIDS than died in September 11.

According to the UN, 7,761 people died from AIDS-related illness each day across the globe in 2005. Approximately 2,900 died in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. That's more than two and a half times for a single day -- or 975 times over the course of just one year. That's 2,832,765 deaths from AIDS in one year.

I've been thinking this since 2002, when I realized that "9/11" and "September 11th" had become little more than catch-phrases. AIDS is still being ignored, especially in America, while people still talk about the events of ONE DAY nearly five and a half years ago.

Some perspective, isn't it...?

Dave