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Dad: Hey kids, where should we go for Summer vacation?
Rusty: I want to go to Sea World!
Audrey: I want to go to Disney World!
Mom: I want to go shopping!
Dad: Oh, you nutty bunch. I've got something BETTER planned. Are you ready? We're going to Slum World! It's a brand new theme park being planned for location in sunny Orlando, Florida by the nice people at Habitat for Humanity. Isn't that exciting?
Rusty: Um. Are there rides, Dad?
Dad: Rusty, Rusty, Rusty. Aren't you too old for those amusement park rides? At Slum World, the thrills come from laying tile and brick with your bare hands!
Audrey: Is there a fantasy castle, Daddy?
Dad: No, Audrey. Castles and futuristic themes are passe. Imagine this. You'll get to tour recreations of some of the world's worst slums! From Africa to Asia, and Central America to Harlem, you can have the thrill of a lifetime by seeing firsthand, how people live in filth and debris.
Mom: Dear, I am as much of a supporter of Habitat for Humanity as anyone. They do great work for poor people around the world. But a vacation destination? I am guessing there won't be much there in the way of shopping? Do I need to bring my own shopping cart to pick through trash?
Dad: Now now, Honey. I sense a bit of sarcasm. Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity says this, '''Essentially, it's a theme park for poverty housing. You'll come out of the center and walk right into a slum. You'll see the kind of pitiful living conditions so many people in the world have."
Rusty, Audrey and Mom: Whaaaaaaaaaaa! We wanna go somewhere fun!!!
Dad: C'mon family. It WILL be fun. I promise! After all, we're the Grizwalds!
Posted by at June 2, 2003 01:25 AM
Comments
I can't imagine anything like this would bring in a real attraction. It might at first, but once the "novelty" of it all wore off, I think it would be in the same boat as Euro-Disney.
I like to help people, but not everyone does. Even of those that do, how many want to vacation in the "slums"? I've seen some real bad situations in my travels through the States and Europe. That's not the type of environment I would want to subject my wife and daughter to when they're looking to get away and relax for a few days.
Posted by: Ceezer | June 2, 2003 08:48 AM