I just wanted to share something that I thought you all might appreciate. In another social forum, I came across the following comment by a person on my "friend list":
And my response to this friend....
Shame on you America: the only country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed without eating, elderly going without needed meds, and mentally ill without treatment - yet we have a benefit for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations. 99% of people won't have the guts to copy and repost this.
And my response to this friend....
Shame on America? You may want to rethink this.
The US is the not the only country that has the kind of social problems you mention, but I can tell you this... there's less of it here than elsewhere in the world. I've lived in Africa and the Caribbean and I've seen it. And my African friends here have told me that they wanted to come to America, why? Because "even the poor people were fat and had cars and TVs."
Since 12 January, Americans have opened their hearts and wallets to the tune of $1.6 million per hour for Haiti relief, and have given a total of $355 million through 21 January. True enough. And this should be a source of pride, not shame.
The generosity of Americans is not limited to Haiti relief nor targeted only to other countries. In 2008, Americans donated more than $300 BILLION to charity. On a per capita basis, Americans give three and a half times as much to causes and charities as the French, seven times as much as the Germans, and 14 times as much as the Italians (1995 data). Similarly, in 1998, Americans were 15 percent more likely to volunteer their time than the Dutch, 21 percent more likely than the Swiss, and 32 percent more likely than the Germans.
The US and its people are some of the most generous on the planet. If a person feels shame, that person can always donate and volunteer. But "shame on America"? Can the facts move you to reconsider?