HECTOR ABAD GOMEZ
In Medical School learn much about the lives of parasites, bacteria and fungi and very little about the life of men, subjects who have dedicated ourselves to save without asking why or what for. We assume that all Human life is valuable and we believe contribute to overall human welfare, saving as many lives as we can and prevent any deaths preventable. What have we achieved this? Increasing the amount of life, without questioning their quality. It is time for doctors to let the old di-dichotomy that is the belief that life is always good and death is bad and replace it by a more scientific and thorough analysis of the human life-death problem, so we have more clear our task. We must keep believing that our mission is to save lives, but must integrate into a broader picture of our world and look at the problem from a broader perspective and social.
What is the meaning of human life on earth?: What are we living? Here are two basic questions we need to know answer before going live and work, unconsciously or blindly, as agents of human life for themselves as defenders of life itself.
Does life have a value in itself and depends on the value of the kind of life that he lived? Should we be agents of life, any kind of life, or just a kind of life they consider ideal? What would this kind of life? Here is another fundamental question.
Say, once and for all, we believe every human being alive as maximum value on the face of the earth. The preservation of his life, but not a life either, but the best life possible for him, is the most important company to which a company should pursue. This means that every society must assure all individuals health, food, dignity, decorum, in a word, physical, mental and social. Every human being from the moment of conception, must be sacred to the doctor. This traditional notion conservation must keep them, if you do not want to miss the dangerous byways of crime. What we need to reconsider is if all life is worth living or not. This is a decision, obviously, that every human being should do. And although discrimination are made, this is more the kind of society where the other doctor, who to his own choice or will. In a capitalist society, for example, health is a commodity to be bought by money and those without, have to be content with second order attention or no attention to their health. In a society of socialist health, like all other assets are distributed more equitably.
The cost of the material elements which make up a human being is valued at about $ 14. However, when a man dies, the loss is much greater. The spiritual value of the loss that it seems almost not measurable. What potentialities are lost in the death of a child or young person? Or a person matures in their full physical and mental activity? "They are worth the same for everyone?
Theoretically, all human beings are equal, but in practice this is not true. This is a fact that must be accepted without discussion. The important point here is how to reduce these inequalities as possible biological, social and natural, if it is true that in fact occur, many are the result of social conditions can be changed. When education and health, for example, is provided in equal measure, quantity, quality and intensity, ALL PERSONS, without any distinction, what is doing is trying to overcome the natural biological differences, which are often reflected in the social field, giving rise to human-extreme inequalities between genius and idiot, for example, which can be alleviated and reduced, providing all the same basic circumstances environmental, cultural and social. This would make it less hard and help decrease at least in part, this state of social inequality today has and continues to occur in the vast majority of human societies. Is there a remedy for this? Clearly yes. We have already said. A human society that aspires to be just has to provide equal opportunities environment physical, cultural and social to each and every one of its components. Otherwise, you are creating artificial inequalities. They are very different physical environments, cultural and social birth, for example, children of the rich and poor children in Colombia. The first born in clean houses, with good facilities, a library, recreation and music. The second born in slums, or in houses without toilets served in neighborhoods without games or schools, or medical services. One van to luxury private offices, others crowded the health centers. The first excellent schools. The latter schools miserable. "They are being so, then the same opportunities? Quite the contrary. From the moment of birth are being placed on unequal and unfair. Even before birth, in relation to the food they eat their mothers, and begin their life in the womb at a disadvantage. In the Hospital of San Vicente have weighed and measured groups of children born in Hall of Pensioners (families who can afford their services) and the Pavilion called Charity (families who can pay little or nothing for these services) and we found that the average height and weight at birth is much higher (estad1sticamente significant) among children than among children pensioner charity. Which means that from birth are born unequal. And not because of biological factors but by social factors (living conditions, unemployment, hunger) in the families of the poor, other than the living conditions of the rich families. These are irrefutable and obvious truths that nobody can deny. Why do we insist then, denying these realities ¬ to retain such a situation? Because selfishness and indifference are characteristic of the blind to the evidence and satisfied with their good and bad conditions that deny others. Do not want to see what is in sight, so keep your situaci6n of privilege, in all fields. This is the situation in Colombia at this time to January 1973 - and all figures and measurements ¬ social calls two social indicators reveal so clearly. What to do in this situation? Who does their part to act? It is ob ¬ saw that they should act are adversely affected by it. But almost always, they, in the midst of their needs, anxieties and tragedies are not aware of this situation objectively, not internalized, not make subjective. Paradoxically
, but this has been historically well-are some of life has placed on acceptable terms, which have had to awaken the oppressed and exploited to react and work to change the conditions of injustice that adversely affected. This have produced significant changes in the lives of people in many countries and we are certainly living a historical period in which all of them are groups of people, ethically superior "who do not accept as a matter of course that these situations of inequality and endure injustice. Their struggle against "established" is a hard and dangerous fight. Must face the anger and frustration of the most politically and economically powerful. Must face consequences, even against their peace and their equal opportunities, in contrast to reach the so-called "success" in mainstream society. But there is an inner force that impels them to work for those who need your help. For many, that force becomes the reason for living. That struggle gives meaning to your life. Is justified if the world is to live a little better when you die as a result of their hard work. Living simply is a legitimate ambition to enjoy animal. But for humans, for the Homo Sapiens, is satisfied with little. To distinguish from other animals, to justify our time on earth, we must aspire to higher goals alone to enjoy life. Goal setting and characterizes distinguished from other men. And here the most important thing is not to achieve those goals, but to fight for them. All we can be heroes of the story. Humanity as a whole is the true protagonist and maker history. As cells that are universal body of this great man are yet aware that each of us can do something to improve the world we live and where they will live after us. We work for the present and the future, and this will bring us greater joy than the simple enjoyment of the property. Know that we are helping to make a better world, should be the highest human aspirations. Each doing its part to create better. In a process to Hamo sapiens that was followed recently in an American city, he was convicted of the crap he has done until now, even sometimes with the best of intentions: environmental pollution, explosion demográfica, las guerras, el fanatismo y el odio, todo dentro de una civilización individualista y materialista, han sido el resultado hasta hoy de las actividades del hombre sobre la faz del mundo. Pero estamos reconociendo que nos hemos equivocado y que andamos por un camino que nos conducirá al desastre, es decir, hacia el deterioro de la calidad de la vida humana, hacia mayores sufrimientos y desesperanzas. La lucha por una vida mejor para todo el mundo apenas empieza en la todavía corta historia de la humanidad. Antes las preocupaciones eran otras. Se reducían a preocupaciones egoístas, de familia, de clan o de parroquia. Si mucho, a preocupaciones nacionales. En este momento, en la era de las comunicaciones y del intercambio mundial, the concerns of the best men around the world become increasingly global. It ecumenize and catolizan. This is the great hope for humanity in the present and future. Groups of men ever growing, universities and schools of the land, technical organizations and United Nations humanitarian and philanthropic organizations, persons engaged in the cultivation of the intellect and the ideas of peace and justice, in the workshops and camps, associations and unions, are feeling they can help the welfare of all human beings regardless of race, religion or nationality. These people feel they have a mission that must be met. They know the world will never utopia. They know they can never stop working for even closer, a little more than now, the fulfillment of higher ideals. But they pass the torch and the flag to succeeding generations in the hope that more are greater equality, justice, freedom, love between men. That, again, gives meaning to their lives.
