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I agree, and I'd also point to women becoming full members of society, as individuals, citizens, and workers, after thousands of years of human history (though

I agree, and I'd also point to women becoming full members of society, as individuals, citizens, and workers, after thousands of years of human history (though with much work remaining). But let's also remember that fixing an evil eventually means that we are committing an evil repeatedly in the interim. Generations of African-Americans lived and died under slavery and segregation; that it was stopped eventually did them no good, and more generations continue to face discrimination right now. It's similar to when a person is freed after decades of imprisonment for an unjust conviction: It's better than leaving them in prison, but a great evil was committed. MLK put it well:[0] I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate ... who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." [0] Letter From a Birmingham Jail by MLK, the most valuable words you can read about the subject of oppression and the response to it: https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham....

mncharity 8y ago
> But let's also remember that fixing an evil eventually means that we are committing an evil repeatedly in the interim. Tick, tick - 4 people were just born. 250 people will be born in the next minute. 360k people will be born today. And also tomorrow. 2.5M this week. 130M this year. In about 6 years, almost all of them will hit school. School. Schools that are pervasively wretched. Can you make them less wretched? You have six years to change the world. For each 4 years your improvements are delayed, your window misses half a billion people. Good luck. Tick, tock. One thing I took away from working on One Laptop Per Child, is that few appreciate the breathtakingly high cost of time.
- forapurpose 8y ago
  Very well put. And don't forget those kids in school right now. Do we just write off everyone in high school, for example?
  - mncharity 8y ago
    > don't forget those kids in school right now People seem to have difficulty thinking about, and empathizing with, large numbers of people. The "one death is a tragedy, but ten thousand deaths is a statistic" observation. So it's a challenge to craft descriptions that provide some sense of scale, while retaining an emotional connection. Narrowing scope can help.

mncharity 8y ago

> But let's also remember that fixing an evil eventually means that we are committing an evil repeatedly in the interim. Tick, tick - 4 people were just born. 250 people will be born in the next minute. 360k people will be born today. And also tomorrow. 2.5M this week. 130M this year. In about 6 years, almost all of them will hit school. School. Schools that are pervasively wretched. Can you make them less wretched? You have six years to change the world. For each 4 years your improvements are delayed, your window misses half a billion people. Good luck. Tick, tock. One thing I took away from working on One Laptop Per Child, is that few appreciate the breathtakingly high cost of time.

forapurpose 8y ago
Very well put. And don't forget those kids in school right now. Do we just write off everyone in high school, for example?
- mncharity 8y ago
  > don't forget those kids in school right now People seem to have difficulty thinking about, and empathizing with, large numbers of people. The "one death is a tragedy, but ten thousand deaths is a statistic" observation. So it's a challenge to craft descriptions that provide some sense of scale, while retaining an emotional connection. Narrowing scope can help.