Comment on NYE

[Ayshababy]

Hello all and Happy New Year's to you!

The last time I felt this strongly about an issue seems so inconsequential and tawdry when contrasted with the denouement currently irking my spirits. I therefore would like to express my opinion on the situation this New Year's Eve.

The Tsunami in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, and Indonesia has killed 150,000 people. Children have been left orphaned. Plague and pestillence will almost certainly double the number of dead. Yet here we are throwing huge parties, events, bashes, raves, whatever.

And here we are ATTENDING them. Drinking. Popping a "cap of E". "Getting SILLY".

Promoters in Austrailia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, France, England, Slovakia, Czech Rep., Turkey, Greece (I could go on but you get the idea) have officially toned down their festivities, or have cancelled them altogether. This shows an incredible sense of compassion and respect for those millions of people whose lives have been devastated this holiday season.

I am appalled at the complete lack of integrity, and sense of humanity of the promoters here in Vancouver. Show me ONE who displayed even an ounce of the virtue held by so many others around the world. If I was a promoter who was throwing something this New Year's Eve, I would have toned it down (if I wanted to go ahead with throwing the event to gain capital). However, if it wouldn't drill a thousands-of-dollars hole in my pocket, I would have cancelled out of respect. (And don't tell me about the technicalities and complications about promoting, I'm well-versed on it ALL).

I would also arrange for a refund system where people returning the tickets would have the option of donating the money instead to aid relief for South Asia. I mean, if you are willing to spend $100 getting high, or drinking and dancing around like a monkey on crack for a night that you probably won't even remember, then why couldn't you be willing to spend $100 providing a month's worth of potable water and food and vaccine for an orphanage of children who would otherwise surely die? I would also donate a considerable portion of the money I would have otherwise spent throwing the event: the amount would be decided by realistically estimating how much $ I would be in the hole if I had gone ahead with the event and it had bombed (the aforementioned act is not something I would expect of anybody else, it is a personal choice). Of course individuals who would rather have their money back would get their money back, their only risk being me considering them heartless despots which is of no consequence to them or anyone other than myself anyway.

Between Boxing Day and now is ample opportunity to make alternate arrangements for NYE. Maybe bring in the New Year with some awareness and dignity and tone it down this time around. It's not as if killer waves roll around every year.

Anyways, that's all I wanted to say. And you don't have to agree with me, as this is only my opinion.

I wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year, and my condolences and prayers to all who were affected by the Tsunami.




Ayshababy