Sometimes I take a look at the world and say to myself, "What is going on here?" Babies are dying of hunger, teenage girls are getting pregnant, and it seems as if everyone is getting HIV. Yet, all anyone cares about is if Chuck and Di are getting separated or if Dylan will cheat on Brenda.

People in this world have to get their act together. We can't just watch homeless people sifting through the trash for a meal and do nothing about it. We must play a more active role in our community. We can no longer allow our children to be on the streets, or our sisters to be raped in their own homes. To stand by and allow this to happen is to be less than human. But standing by is all that anyone does. We'd rather worry about who will take us to the prom instead of worrying about who will feed all the stricken children in the world. Everyone knows that Beverly Hills zip code backwards but no one takes the time to find out if our classmate is contemplating suicide.

So don't come crying to me when you break a nail, because I'm more concerned about the abused kid whose mother broke his arm. And don't expect my shoulder to cry on when you can't get that pair of shoes you were dying for because my attention is directed toward people dying of AIDS. We are living in a complex era, with complex problems that can no longer play second fiddle to our superficial worries.

Does it really matter if Fergie sleeps around when little Tommy has no place to sleep at all? n