Upstream

One upon the time there was a small village on the edge of the river. The people there were good and so was life in the village. One day a villager noticed a baby floating down the river. The villager quickly jumped into the river and swam out to save the baby from drowning.

The next day the same villager was walking along the riverbank and noticed two babies in the river. He called for help, and both babies were rescued from the swift waters. And the following day four babies were seen caught in the turbulent current. And then there were eight, and still more.

The villagers organized themselves efficiently. The rescue squads were now snatching many children each day. Groups were trained to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Others prepared formula and provided clothing for the chilled babies. Many were involved in making clothing and knitting blankets. Still others provided foster homes and placement. While not all the babies could be saved, the villagers feel they were doing well to save as many as they could each day.

One day, however, someone raised the question, “But where are all these babies coming from? Who is throwing them into the river? Why? Let's organize a team to go upstream and see who is doing it.” The seeming logic of the elders countered: “And if we go upstream who will operate rescue operations? We need every concerned person here.”

“But don't you see,'' cried the one lone voice. “If we find who is throwing them in, we can stop the problem and no babies will drown. By going upstream we can eliminate the problem.”

“It's too risky.”

And so the number of babies who drown increases daily. Those saved increases, but those who drown increases even more.


(CX5043)

Subject Headings

• Radicalism

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