Obscure World News of the Week: Arrests made over tainted batch of ‘My Pikin’ cough syrup in Nigeria
Authorities reported on Thursday that twelve pedestrian arrests occured in Nigeria after the deaths of 84 children from a tainted batch of teething medication.
This medicine, bearing the brandname "My Pikin", was found to contain a solvent usually present in antifreeze and brake fluid. This chemical, diethylene glycol, has been responsible for 110 ill children since November, all cases which stemmed from the very same batch. A high concentration of this is capabale of damaging the kidneys, heart, and nervous system. And, obviously, of killing people on a mass scale. Most unfortunately, in this case, all of said people were within the range of two months to seven years of age.
Five arrested suspects came from the manufacturing company of My Pikin, the rest being members of the chemical company which sold the diethylene glycol. All suspects have been bonded out of imprisonment, but if caught will serve fifteen years in prison or, for some reason, a $3,380 dollar fine, which, though an amount worth much more in Nigeria than America, gives me a bad impression of the Nigerian justice system. Not that I know anything at all about it, but concerning the fact that responsibility for murdering eighty-four infants and children garners a strange choice of either prison time or a simple fine, its quality and fairness don't seem too likely to reveal themselves to me any time soon.
Dear Mr. Vonnegut,
What should we do about this?
Dear Human Race,
Get used to it.
Why are people so terrible?