ALEPPO FACES 'TOTAL DESTRUCTION' IN A SPACE OF TWO MONTHS -UN

Sometime last week, it was reported that Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution drafted by France calling for an end to the bombing in Aleppo. However as at yesterday, it was also reported by the BBC that the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights conveyed that not less than 25 persons including children have died after Russian planes resumed air strikes on rebel-held districts in the city of Aleppo, in what activists say is the heaviest bombardment in days leaving extensive damages in several areas as well.

According to the news from the BBC, the bombardment which came after Russian President Vladimir Putin cancelled a planned visit to France, follows a temporary respite called by the Syrian government, partly to allow civilians to leave rebel areas in the east of the city which has come under intense aerial attack since a ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia collapsed last month.

French presidential sources said that Putin was due to meet French President Francois Hollande later this month but pulled out after Paris said talks would be confined to Syria.

Coming on the heels of the air strikes, Mr Hollande was said to have suggested that Russian officials could face war crimes charges over the bombardment of Aleppo.

It also held that on Tuesday UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told the UK parliament Russia was in danger of becoming a pariah nation because of its involvement in Syria.

The observatory said Russian war planes had dropped so-called "bunker busters" and other bombs, with children thought to be among the dead. Footage shared by activists showed lifeless bodies of toddlers wrapped in sheets, with their parents distraught beside them.

Some of the most intense attacks have come in the Bustan al-Qasr and Fardos neighbourhoods near the citadel, which sits near the front line with the government-held west.

Aid organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Tuesday there were now only 11 working ambulances left in the city because five had been hit by bombs and another eight were missing essential spare parts.

Meanwhile, Syrian state media reported rebel attacks on government-held western Aleppo, in which it said four people were killed and 14 injured.

Diplomatic efforts to revive the ceasefire have so far come to nothing.

The UN has warned that eastern Aleppo, where an estimated 275,000 people still live, could face "total destruction" in the space of two months.

Oseola McCarty The 'Unselfish' Spirited Woman Who Gave It All

I just read on one of the social media platforms about Oseola McCarty, a cleaning lady who out of the goodness of her heart, donated about $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi for a student scholarship program. This money is the large savings she accumulated having worked all of her life.

According to McCarty “I want to help somebody’s child go to college. I’m giving it away so that the children won’t have to work so hard, like I did.” 

How many people in our present generation would say the above and not just saying, but would go ahead to ‘doing it’ as said?  I can bet with you on it that such a person wouldn’t  be found and if you are able to find any at all, it will definitely be one in every 100million.

Aaaaargh! Did I just hear somebody say “hey! That’s too harsh”?

I agree with you on that, but don’t blame the ‘harshness’ on me, you can somewhat blame it on the kind of environment we’ve found ourselves given the kind of lives/lifestyle of the present generation.

A generation of highly selfish people where all we think about is the ‘me, myself and I’ syndrome without a care in the world of knowing what your neighbor is going through. This syndrome has eaten so deep into the society that even when we have the wherewithal to help the next person we rarely do that. 

I also read through some of the comments on the platform where I saw the post on McCarty and it read “I am also an alumni of USM and I was actually a student when she setup the trust for the scholarship. Ms. McCarty quit school in the sixth grade to take care of her Aunt. She never married or had children. She lived a simple life; never owned a car; walk over a mile to the local grocery store. She believed in working hard, simple living and spending frugally. She was honored by USM, Harvard University, an Essence Award and the Presidential Citizens Medal which was presented by President Bill Clinton. She was a great and humble woman.

Phew! How about that for size?

For many who have more than enough, instead of thinking like McCarty, We would rather think about frivolous things to spend that money on just to outdo others as though it is life’s competition. The funniest part of it is that those whom you seem to be competing with, most of the time do not have the slightest hunch that they are even in any competition hence you are left running your own marathon with no competitor. Stupid! Isn’t it?

McCarty never owned a car even though she could afford it. *I wish she had one though* but that wasn’t her priority. 

Your neighbor does not have a ‘bicycle spoke’ not to talk of food to eat yet you show off your latest Range Rovers, Suv and other exotic cars in his face thereby rubbing in the severity of his predicament/poverty and then you expect the streets to be safe for you?  

Come on, wake up, the streets can’t be safe.

  

Let us learn from McCarthy, by giving back to the society. She died in 1999 at the age of 91 after having being recognized with awards and honors from several people and organisations/institutions including former President Bill Clinton and the UN for her 'unselfish spirit'. She will no doubts be remembered for a very long time, that's if not forever.

I know for a fact that not everyone can be ‘wealthy’ but then, for all those who have being lucky and have become wealthy as a result of hard work, luck or *like they say* born with silver spoon, it’s time to give back and take care of one another thereby keeping the streets safe for ourselves and wards who we try so hard to protect.