Saturday, August 23, 2014

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: but why bro?

What is ALS? "Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and in the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death." For more information, click here.

Now that we know what ALS is, I shall rant about the viral challenge of pouring ice water over oneself.

I was against it at a certain point in time too. Exhibit A:

Shameless follow request here :D
Following the tweet, I observed and watched many challenges. There were a few that gave me quite the impression, such as Sonu Nigam, who actually took the effort to explain what ALS means in his own words. This got me thinking...there's so much hype about this challenge. When people do it, we don't know if they are donating money or not. But the famous folks surely must be.

According to the ALS website, the challenge has raised more than $41.8 million. So why are we complaining? The objective of the challenge has sort of been accomplished. There is enough money for research on the ALS to be carried out. So why the hate peeps?!

Sure, some people talk about how we're wasting water, and we should think about not doing so and just donate. But the fact that people have been pouring water over themselves (and going viral) is what made other people actually aware of the ALS. I wouldn't know what it is otherwise, frankly speaking.

I really don't know how to end this article...so...umm...yeah.

Oh yes! If you don't want to do the challenge, it's fine! Don't. I'm not gonna do it. But please, don't comment on others who are. You're doing your bit, and they're doing theirs. Not everything in the world is correct or moral. There are far worse things we can sit and complain about. But we choose not to. So let's choose the same with this and just umm...chill? (See what I did there? :D )

Don't hate. Appreciate. :-)

Peace!

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