Ten things I hate about the world we live in

Our world presents us daily with many examples of beauty, honor and harmony: a summer sunset, the bravery of firefighters as they risk their lives to save others, and the music of a symphony orchestra. These are only a few of many examples.

However, examples of horror, ugliness and evil are also all too evident. Here are ten things I hate about the world we live in:

1.) Incurable illness. It must be horrible to wake up in pain every morning and know that you have no chance of getting better; you will only get worse. As you progressively become more dependent on others for every need, you will see the pity, sadness and sympathy in their eyes. They search in vain for words to give you some hope and comfort, even while you both know there is no hope.

2.) Conditions of poverty in the Third World. I hate to think of the thousands of children who go to sleep every night with empty stomachs. The restaurants in our well-off cities throw away enough food every day to supply them all with adequate nourishment. When governments and charities send food and other supplies, the aid packages are often confiscated by the dictator of the moment, and fed to the army so they will be strong enough to fight ongoing battles for their power-hungry leaders.

3.) Mentally and emotionally-ill street people. They are condemned to homelessness because society is afraid of treading on their civil rights. If they were children, they'd be taken into protective custody immediately. Because they have adult bodies which encase their immature, childlike minds, they are left to live and often perish, in the midst of a land of plenty, surrounded by their brothers and sisters in the human family, who can't or won't lift a hand to help them.

4.) War. Like kids in the schoolyard, who fight with their fists because they have not yet learned the arts of negotiation or compromise, some leaders prefer to settle differences with brute force. Even more reprehensible, they don't go off to fight themselves, they send other peoples' kids to do their dirty work. We, spineless jellyfish that we are, allow them to send our young people to fight. and often die in foreign lands, even when we realize there is no creditable excuse for any particular war.

5.) Child molesters who serve a term in prison and then are released to re-offend. It is generally recognized that pedophilia is an incurable condition. Once an offender is identified, he should be interned for life in a secure compound with others like himself.

6.)Loud, noisy rock music whose lyrics promote murder, suicide, disrespect for the law and authority, drug use, promiscuity and all kinds of nasty habits and behaviors to a vulnerable audience of impressionable young people. How can adults be shocked when their kids adopt the lifestyles and habits flaunted by these rock idols?

7.) Animal abusers. Pets give so much love when they're treated well. They cannot speak for themselves. All they need is food, shelter, and love and they will repay their owner with loyalty, appreciation, and affection as long as they have the strength to do so. Some warped individuals will take out their anger and other negative emotions on the animals unfortunate enough to share their environment.

8.) People who defile the environment without thought for others, their children or even their own health. They smoke cigarettes whenever they can get away with it, whether or not there are children nearby, or people with allergies. They insist on buying SUVs or other gas-guzzlers. They refuse to recycle or use energy-wise appliances. They are totally self-absorbed and everything in their limited world revolves around themselves.

9.) Street gangs. Bands of young people who prowl the streets of inner cities like packs of vicious wolves, seeking to rob, pillage and even kill those whom they perceive to be their enemies. The underlying causes for this phenomenon are many and varied: poverty, family breakdown, the ready availability of weapons, and lack of respect for authority. Many of these young people end up dead or in prison before they become adults, but not before they have terrorized their neighborhoods and beyond.

10.) Weapons of mass destruction. These are produced to maim and kill human beings by those seeking domination and power over others. Unfortunately these bullies may fail to realize that when they decide to use their weapons, others will retaliate and the end result of the conflict could be the destruction of every form of life on the planet.

These, then, are ten things I hate about the world we live in. It is easy to become gloomy while considering these unhappy items. I'm going now and list the ten most beautiful things I can think of, like sunsets and heroes and symphonies in an effort to cheer myself up again.