Granted, the United States government has currently ceased to be a compassionate, care-giving entity. But do not for one second think that in any way reflects the thoughts or deeds of the American people. U.S. citizens still maintain their nation’s 134,000 individual charities. (Yup, you read that right.) And though one large spigot has turned off, other mega-providers are running full blast. This past year, the Catholic Relief Services in the U.S. alone raised and spent $170 billion to fight poverty and end suffering worldwide. That’s more than the $152 billion Apple garnered – and three times the GDP of Tanzania. The 5.4 million donors to the United Way generously contributed $5.2 billion to fund its 1,100 charitable organizations, which its staff and 1.4 million volunteers employed to bring aid to 40 nations. That’s only two avenues through which Americans display their warm-hearted benevolence.
We are a prosperous nation whose people bountifully continue to share that prosperity.
My wife Lorraine suggests that it may be time for those U.S. residents to remind their legislators on both sides of the aisle that they stand among those millions of voters who want America’s generosity to be actively sustained. That is, of course, your choice. But as a final note, I found it interesting that the late Pope Francis, as most all recent pontiffs, chose to forgo his $405,600 annual salary and donate it to worthy causes.
