Friday, September 18, 2015

A Cryin' Shame

"I Love Giving...But"

I love giving to organizations, causes, needs or people who need help. I have a life long track record of generosity. It's part of my own expression of who I am. I love the opportunity to contribute and help. (Note the infamous 'period' at the end of that sentence.) Giving is about self expression and me being who I am, not so much about whoever benefits from the gift.

But I have to object to some of the giving opportunities that have presented themselves lately.

It is a shameful thing that teachers and schools have to beg for donations for basic classroom supplies. That's just wrong. Teachers and classrooms are two of the most important assets any society can have. Why are these guys having to go on TV and beg for money? Their needs should be met by the government as a public investment in our way of life. And we pay plenty of tax dollars for this purpose already, State and federal government should fund education, and do it well. I understand raising money for extracurricular activities and opportunities for things that are above and beyond normal classroom teaching. But I can't understand why teachers are asked to raise money like missionaries just to do their job.

And even worse is the need for wounded veterans to raise money for equipment to make their lives better. These people signed, trained, traveled where they were told to, and made great personal sacrifices to make the world safer and better for all of us. Whatever they need should be supplied without them having to beg like animal rights groups for funding.

These things are statements about our culture and condemnations of our government and our ideology.

If we're going to fight wars, we have to take care of our wounded.

If we have a future, it is based on and depends on educating our children.

If our nation can't do these basic things, we really are failing as a government and a people.