With the tornado damage to Americans this week there is a divide in the discussions between: “Oh, just let the government take care of people in need because that is why we pay taxes,” and, “Here, my friend, I will help you.”
Government, as it gets bigger, wants to be the entity that helps because it gives government a solid mission but we Americans were born to help each other. At least my generation was born that way. I am not saying there is not a place in a disaster for government. Goodness, there are always the needs of the many at the moment of disaster, but I am thinking of all the people in New Orleans and with Hurricane Sandy that sat and sat and sat waiting on the government.
When Hurricane Katrina hit a friend of mine watched for a couple of hours on television and then, because he has a restaurant background, got a big truck and lots of supplies along with a generator. He and a couple friends headed down to New Orleans and parked in a closed Wal-Mart parking lot. For a week my friend served coffee and pancakes to the great relief of the people in the area.
After a while the government got going but at the time of the disaster there was a schism between the Republican President and the Democrat Governor and Mayor of New Orleans. They initially told the president that they did not want help so when they changed their minds it was several days into the crisis.
But in the middle of all that politics my friend made coffee, gave out bottles of water and served up pancakes to the grateful citizens. Then, with the big truck empty, he and his friends came home. On the way home they prayed that others would help because that is what we do, we give until it stops hurting.
They say character is what people do when no one is watching. I often see little acts of kindness that are done not for attention nor praise, but done as a matter of being a member of a community. The publicity hounds make lots of noise and proclaim their acts while the real angels smile inwardly and go about their lives giving.
That is the danger of big government. It causes some citizens to step back and not help. The truth is that helping is for the giver, not the given. We give until it stops hurting. And often the government rides in shooing the angels away so they can posture for the media and show that government is the only ones who help in an emergency. Not so, and unfortunately some of our younger generation fall for these lies.
As a person who has driven New Mexico for the last four decades I have come upon many accidents. It is always different and the same. The first thing is to secure the accident so cars coming up to the accident do not plow into it and injure more people. If first on the scene and therefore in charge until someone takes over I send people up the road to flag down cars. I say, “Go down the road as far as you think you should and then double that distance because some of those cars are coming very fast.”
Before cell phones I would have to try to help those injured get to a safe place, stop their bleeding and reassure them that better days are coming. Sometimes I had to put out a fire. Even today I carry a fire extinguisher. I do not do it for them, I do it for me. No one has ever offered to reimburse me for using my fire extinguisher nor would I take reimbursement. I give until it stops hurting.
Americans are best when they themselves are the angels. Do not let big government shoo you away from your role as an angel. Give until it stops hurting.
Dr. Michael Swickard hosts the syndicated radio talk show News New Mexico on six to nine a.m. Monday - Friday on a number of New Mexico radio stations and through streaming. Email: michael@swickard.com
