5/18/2002: Mental patient in Sierra Leone

[sleemanj]

Originally posted by Undertoad

It's sad, isn't it?

Yes, but it's just a different culture. To westernized countries, we take pity on the sick and mentally deficient, we look after them and generally make sure thier needs are met (now, it hasn't always been that way, quite recently for some countries) and they live as happy and fulfilled a life as possible.

But in other cultures the sick are relegated to situations like these, probably to live a short meaningless life, pretty much as would have happened if natural selection had it's way.

It's kinda like eating dogs, the western world throws up it's arms, eastern cultures thrown them in the pot (and the reverse can be said about some other animals).