Recently celebrating St Patrick’s Day made me reflect on the devastating potato famine that Ireland experienced in the 1840s and our country’s response to it.
Do many of you realize that our country aided Ireland then? Our country was a new country, less than 70 years old, when we decided to help Ireland. It was our country’s first humanitarian aid to another country.
Both the government and local citizens gave money and food donations to be sent in ships to Ireland. People recognized their fellow humans suffering and gave out of compassion. All groups of people gave, regardless of their religion or race. Even the small Choctaw Nation, who had just experienced the Trail of Tears, gave all they could.
These groups gave without expecting Ireland to say thank you. They gave because it is the right thing to care about others.
A recent quote from Elon Musk states that he feels the fundamental weakness of civilization is empathy.
I think he is dead wrong.
To make our civilization stronger, we need to be more empathetic to others and not cut our humanitarian efforts, including other nations in need.
What is the point of having excess, like the U.S. has, if not to help share it with those in need?
We should do it with no strings attached and certainly not demand a thank you.
America needs to step up and do the right thing.
Pam Carnahan
Port Angeles