What Is Wrong With Us, America?

I’ve been feeling a bit down in the dumps lately. For various reasons.

One of those was, as I feel every Thanksgiving, that while most of America is gorging themselves on more food, in a single day, than most people in the world – or even our own cities – have for weeks on end. For a better depiction of what I’m talking about, click here.

This past Wednesday, over 5,100 people crowded into a building at our local fairgrounds to get a free haircut and warm meal. And this in Sonoma County, which is among the top 10 most agriculturally active counties in America. Sonoma County’s grape-growing industry alone earns hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

While some would argue that it’s the moral – and decent – responsibility of those with “plenty” to help our their fellow man who has less than “plenty,” there are those who would argue that every man is an island and must make his own way.

Wherever you stand on that topic, I’m sure many of you will understand why my mood was shot to hell when I loaded up the news to see what is happening. This is what I saw.

While innocent people are being ripped to shreds by bullets and blown apart by bombings, Americans woke up early to flock to stores to buy materialistic crap. While hostages – including an American – are being found dead, Americans were so consumed by greed that they allegedly, knocked down, trampled and killed a 34-year-old man, who was working to earn the few bucks an American corporation was paying him:

A worker died after being trampled by a throng of unruly shoppers when a suburban Wal-Mart opened for the holiday sales rush…

…Nassau County police said the 34-year-old worker was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 6 a.m., an hour after the store opened. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Source: Associated Press

This isn’t so imply that every shopper on the streets today is buying in excess of their needs or credit limit, or that anybody who does not partake in “Buy Nothing Day” does not actively contribute to make society better. My question is this:

What is wrong in America, with after all that we have been through as a nation, when we are still more concerned about getting than giving?

You can help make the change by donating your time, energy, money, or supplies to any of the following:

• Oxfam
• Your local food bank/soup kitchen. For a directory where you can find the one nearest to you, go to FoodPantries.org
• Salvation Army