Quote:
Originally Posted by ismokeblunts
if you want to talk about sick, how about we look at who put those landmines there and why?
in the end, i don't see any of us hopping on the next flight to the middle of Zimbabwe (or whereever there's landmines) to disarm them ourselves. there's no landmines your backyard.
so smile and enjoy the fact that you just saw a gazelle get 25 feet of air, and thats one less landmine in the ground. only a few million or so more to go...
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Good points!
Congrats to Canada for taking the initiative in banning the use of these weapons with the Ottawa Treaty 1997 (Mine Ban Treaty). A majority of countries (over 150) have now ratified the Treaty.
A few major players in the landmine business have not (or cannot) ratified the Ottawa Treaty - among them, China, Russia and the US - the latter being the largest exporter of arms.
Estimates of those killed remain vague, but in the region of 26,000 civilians each year with about 50% being women and children. Since 1975 until recently, the estimates of peacetime deaths from stepping on landmines is in excess of 1 million.
Approximately every 20 minutes an individual gets killed from mines left over from a conflict. In Vietnam alone, 40K'ish people have been killed and most of these were children playing in fields or farmers. Over 80% of amputations performed in ICRC hospitals are for land mine victims.
So... agree - it is sick .....