Americans are, by any reasonable measure, extraordinarily giving people. We have given trillions upon trillions of dollars of our nation's wealth to the world's poorer people. And not always with strategic military or economic goals attached. Here at home, we provide government assistance to flood victims. Americans beset by fire damage, tornadoes and hurricanes. You can smoke all of your life and walk into a government-funded hospital and ask your fellow Americans to save your life. You can make the poorest nutritional choices known to mankind and get diabetes medication paid for by the government. You can go hiking in some crazy-ass, remote part of some national park and certain, caring fellow Americans will attempt to find you. People pay a lot of money in taxes here in America, but still find ways to give billions privately every year to help fight disease, care for the elderly, teach painting and dance, conserve precious open spaces, give scholarships on behalf of their alma mater, or send Girl Scout cookies to the troops.
Alec Baldwin, "It's Time to Suck It Up and Pay Our Bill." Huffington Post. Posted: 7/29/11 08:09 PM ET
No comments:
Post a Comment