Week 2 comment

Mary Wrote:

Throughout this last week, Twitter and other social networking sites have played an important role in spreading the word about helping the people in Haiti. As this poor country struggled in the aftermath of a gut-wrenching earthquake, word spread quickly about texting a number to easily donate $10 to the Red Cross.

I follow someone on Twitter who posts funny and crass quotes from his 76 year old father and I am also a “fan” of his on Facebook, because the streams of comments are also often entertaining. One day, he posted a status update to encourage people to donate and received hundreds of positive and negative comments. I was appalled to read that hundreds of people, strangers to me, feel that it is un-American to help the people of Haiti because we should only be helping people in America- what has Haiti ever done for us, they say.

What?

Is this the face of Patriotism?

Honestly, I don’t think I even would have known that these people exist if it wasn’t for Twitter and Facebook.

In this stream of comments, strangers fought back and forth about being good Americans, good Christians, good citizens of the world and it blew my mind how important it was to so many people to not help.

Maybe some people don’t help because they’re lazy. I understand that. But to not help because you feel you shouldn’t, because they don’t deserve it, because they wouldn’t help you? I don’t understand this thinking.

Helping creates joy in the helper.

I feel bad that these people are denying themselves a chance at feeling that joy, the joy of helping.

My Comment:
I am appalled at these kinds of people just like you. What is an American? Simply put it is a a citizen of the United States of America. A country that was founded on the principle of freedom and liberties not on being better than others and only caring about the people who live within the physical boundaries of our country. It is human nature to care and provide for those in need.

There are people all around us who are in need and we should not have to wait for a tragedy such as this to happen before we make a difference, but in tragic situation more help is needed! Thanks for bringing this up.