This week, I have seen protestors stand up for China's treatment of Tibet. The protests against the 2008 Olympic Games, because China must know what wrongs they are committing. A few months ago, I saw President Bush talk about the U.S' aid to Africa, he said America is a country of compassion. And there is NO doubting that, we like to reach out and lend a helping hand, and we are "that" country. (Haha.)
And I asked the question--(in the case of the Olympics) why is it that we are so passionate, to enthused, so enraged... to fight for another country? Or why is it that, we, on the brink of an economic "crisis" (maybe not a CRISIS, because it has happened before, and there seems to be some sort of trend for America), and we find the money to send to ANOTHER country to alleviate their issues??
Please don't misunderstand, I am all for compassionate acts of kindness, giving a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves, etc. I love it, it may be one of the biggest things that sets us apart from a lot of other countries.
However, it puts the thought in my head: "Why?"
We have hungry families in our own country, we have impoverished neighborhoods, there are children who aren't getting the best education possible (that is a whole different story, don't even get me started on education in California, these budget cuts are ridiculous!), we are at war!! We have a lot of our own problems.
I would like to see that same passion, fervor, enthusiasm, and EFFORT be deposited into this country, into our country. I wonder why we aren't advocates for causes in our own country... that we want to fix the world before we fix ourselves.
There was this analogy my friend Megan gave me when I became a Christian.
She said I had to worry about ME and my walk first. Worry about saving people and telling people about God later. She said, "Think about when you are on a plane, they are giving that safety presentation and when there is an emergency in the air, you are supposed to put your own oxygen mask on before you help the child next to you." Or Jesus' lesson, "Before you point out the speck in your neighbor's eye, first take the plank out of your own eye."
Take stock of your city, county, your state, your country...look at our schools!!
Then you can save the rest of the world.
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We are sort of the Richest Nation in the world right now, and even though we are going into a recession, we have more than enough money to help out other countries. Jesus also said, "Love your neighbor as yourself," after this he said that that was the greatest commandment besides loving God. So, if other countries are struggling more than we are (which just so happens to be the case considering that we are still one of the richest nations in the world), then we should stop helping when everybody is as rich or richer than us.
For Chrishna's sake, our homeless people are fat!
I don't think so. We are currently $9.3 TRILLION in debt....the Canadian dollar is worth more than ours, and something costs twice as much in England as it does here (with the US dollar).
Look around you...open your eyes....we are struggling. A couple of years ago, 1 in 6 children were homeless...i'm sure that rate has only gone up.
A note on "our homeless people are fat" : Being fat is NOT a sign of being healthy or well fed. In fact, it's usually the opposite. A malnourished human being may either be really skinny, or be bloated, making them appear fat. In addition to this, processed, unhealthy foods cost less (think ramen noodles vs. fresh produce).
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"In and of itself, nothing really matters. What matters is that nothing is ever 'in and of itself.'" - Chuck Klosterman, "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs"
http://progressiveu.org/blog/k-moore
I completely agree with the doctrine of compassion, and helping your neighbors. Don't get me wrong, by no means am I trying to create this "selfish" tone. I really inteded the blog to OPEN the eyes of America...
YES, it is a great and amazing feat to be a generous giver; however, everyone wants to save the world...
When in OUR country, their next door neighbor is hungry.
When in OUR country, the little girl down the streen is being sexually abused.
When in OUR country, people are struggling to get jobs.
When in OUR country, soldiers are hurting, they are coming back from combat BROKEN and struggling to get back into the swing of things...
When in OUR country, we are in the middle of a presidential race.
I ask people ot TAKE STOCK of what is around them...
It is like a woman who goes around to help the world, volunteer at mom's clubs, cook dinner for the woman at church who just had a baby, and she serves her church three times a week...
But her children are hungry, they are home alone; her husband is unhappy, and her home is being ignored because she is out for the greater good... and not her home.
It is a question of personal responsibility and the ABILITY to make change...
Yes, make change in the world, but... you gotta walk before you can run.
"We have enjoyed so much freedom for so long that we are perhaps in danger of forgetting how much blood it cost to establish the Bill of Rights."
--Felix Frankfurter
I completely agree. We really do need to look at our own nation before saving the rest of the world.
To answer your question of "why" : Over the course of recent history, we have put ourselves at the top. We have become the next empire, and I think this concept has pervaded our culture. America is top dog, a place where freedom roams, and prosperity is open to everyone. Or at least that's the image we have created for ourselves in the past. And so, I think out of that image came responsibility and an ability to help other countries in time of need. After WW2, we provided a lot of aid to Europe - perhaps this was the beginning of our "generosity" (don't quote me on that though, I'm really not sure). Fast forward to present day, and we have troops in many countries, helping them where we believe they need it (as long as it promotes democracy).
Overall, I think it's something that snowballed, and unfortunately, I don't think there's a way to reverse it. I'm all for helping others, as it makes the world a better place. However, how are you supposed to help others if you can't keep yourself afloat?
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"In and of itself, nothing really matters. What matters is that nothing is ever 'in and of itself.'" - Chuck Klosterman, "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs"
http://progressiveu.org/blog/k-moore
but we are still so much better off than so many countries, and if our population starts focusing on helping those below us instead of luxury and pleasure (which is one of the reasons why we may be in as dire straights as you let on) than perhaps we will see whats really important. If the woman who was so involved with helping the world took her family with her, not only would she be spending time with them, but her family would be able to experience the art of selflesness
yes, we, as a nation are "well off" compared to other nations, but... we still overlook some of the issues we have here at home. we are at war, those soldiers who are coming home are fighting another battle!!! getting readjusted, reintegrated, "dealing" and what are we doing for them? put them on a waiting list? misdiagnose, or refuse to diagnose them??
where is our economy doing?
how are our budgets set up?
i saw an article in the LA times today about how CA gave 7 billion dollars for prison healthcare... when all of CA's school's are undergoing MAJOR budget cuts...teachers are getting fired, programs cut...
what are the REAL issues????
why is it so hard for america to LOOK around...!?
"We have enjoyed so much freedom for so long that we are perhaps in danger of forgetting how much blood it cost to establish the Bill of Rights."
--Felix Frankfurter
It seems that the issues you are adressing are not really under the power of the government, but are more in the hands of the voters. You can take that into your own hands and ask people, protest for a larger school budget. It seems to work were i live.