Contradictions Offer Opportuity for Rotary

October 17, 2008              

Today's Word :   contradiction - an expression or proposition containing contradictory parts; to resist or oppose in argument; to deny the truth; to go counter to.

History moves in interesting chains of events. On this day in 1933, Albert Einstein, came to the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany. He left his native country because he was a Jew and Nazi Germany wanted to get rid of the Jews.

This is the same Einstein, though a pacifist, called to President Franklin Roosevelt's attention the need for research into nuclear energy - a call which led directly to America's development of the atom bomb. If Einstein had remained in Germany, he might have been responsible for giving Germany the secret to nuclear fission and the history of the world might be a great deal different today.

History does move in mysterious ways and if we look around, we can see some of its strangeness around us now. All over the world we see disadvantaged peoples.

We see starvation in one area and abundance in another. We see land going untilled in some regions and in other areas high-yielding crops. We drink from the fountain of plenty and yet thirst for drinkable water rages in other areas of the globe.

We take education for granted, not realizing its full potential, while many children don't have a classroom to attend.

These contradictions should be a catalyst for a call to action for the 1.2 million Rotarians worldwide in the 32,270 clubs. Perhaps Killeen Heights will realize the contradictions here in our own community.

Today, we'll hear about Portugal, one of the world's oldest nation states, its boundaries being unchanged since the 13^th century. In the last ten years, they've been fighting extreme poverty, while enjoying some modest gains in their GDP. They, like most nations experiencing some economic uncertainties, have contradictions that require attention. Rotarians across the globe are up to the task to make a difference where they can.

Yours in Service,

Steve