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Aug. 30, 2005 When the South Asian tsunami hit last December the people and government of the United States came to the rescue in stupendous proportions. The US government pledged $350 million, relief charities raised $245 million and private sources over $350 million. The organization Doctors without Borders raised $50 million and sent medical personnel to assist the cleanup and healthcare of the affected people. Former presidents Bush and Clinton were seen on TV spots asking for your help; television stations both local and national put on telethons to raise money to help. Schools and churches sent clothing, food, and money. As I sit here watching reports on the catastrophic destruction to the Gulf Coast states I wonder if we (the general public) will help our own people. Will we see a great rush of people sending help, both tangible and intangible? Honestly, I don’t think so. I think we are the first to come to the “rescue” of others, as long as it’s not for ourselves. We assume the US government will take care of things and we sit back and go on with our lives. But when we see photos of poor countries and devastated villages with half dressed children, we’ll whip out that checkbook ASAP. I ask myself, why? Why are we so quick to help others and not our own? Is it a savior complex that we as Americans have? Or possibly, a world- inflicted guilt complex? We have so much and they don’t, so by sending some money in times of great need, we alleviate that guilt? We are expected to come to the aid of the world, since we are the richest nation on earth. It’s our job, our duty, our responsibility – well, at least according to the rest of the world. So, I will be watching over the next few days to see what will happen. Will the organization Doctors without Borders send assistance to their own people – within their borders? Will our churches take up a Sunday collection, collect clothing and load up trucks with incidentals for our own fellow Americans? Will we see a telethon this weekend put on for the displaced families and victims of Katrina’s wrath? Will any other countries attempt to send assistance to those in need in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama – and even if they do, would we as a nation accept it? The Red Cross reported over 1.2 billion dollars was pledged and committed worldwide for the tsunami relief, will anyone from any other countries bother to send assistance to the Red Cross for this disaster? As you read this New Orleans and beach areas of Alabama and Mississippi are flooded, houses have been swept away, people are stranded with no water, no home, no clothing - some are still a top roofs, others are trapped in a sports complex. What are you going to do about it? Remember, charity starts at HOME! ------------ Email Brynn Bacardi: bacgwy@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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