I sat down with my wife last week to discuss the charities that we would be giving to this holiday season. We have some tough decisions to make and want to do what we can to make a difference in people's lives. As we started to narrow down our choices I caught myself saying "I'll give to this charity but not that because....." ? I was starting to judge the very people that I was attempting to help. My parents taught me to be a compassionate person who should give to charity and try to make a difference in people's lives. They taught me to respect people who are less fortunate then myself and not to judge a person because they might need society's help. My synagogue and its Rabbis pass on the same message every week at services. I was embarrassed by my actions. My wife and I decided that we would give to our desired charities but would not judge the people who may receive our charitable contributions. I really do believe that charity should be about making a difference in our society. We should respect people that are less fortunate then ourselves and we should do it in a way that still allows them to carry out their lives with dignity. I know all too well the feeling of experiencing tough times. I know how hard it is to make ends meet during these tough times. I'm a hard working person and know that sometimes tough times are out of our control. Our family was great and still allowed us to have dignity. They respected us and gave us the emotional support that allowed us to keep our head held high. I vowed to always respect other people. I vowed to try and make a difference in other people's lives. A little respect goes a long way in helping another person to gain the dignity that they need to go on with life. This holiday season if I see a person with their hand held out, I plan to help them to the best of my ability without judging them or asking any questions. I urge you to do the same thing. Being liberal or conservative has nothing to do with human compassion. Human compassion comes from within and both liberal and conservative ideology teaches us to be respectful of others. Together we can make America an even stronger, greater and prosperous nation. |
