I heard a story on the local news here and wanted to get everyone’s input. To briefly summarize:
ABC’s hit reality television show ‘Extreme Makeover’ with hunk of man Ty Pennington just finished taping an episode in Logan, UT. There was such an outpour of volunteers for the show that several people had to be turned away. Meanwhile, progress has stopped on several nearby Habitat for Humanity homes due to a lack of volunteers.
What does this story tell you about American values?
I think many people will help others as long as there is something in it for them, particularly some form of recognition. That is why highly publicized charities do so well and the small ones without any notoriety get so little help. If they moved the T.V cameras to the Habitat homes, they would be overflowing with volunteers because people could be seen to be noble citizens.
There seems to be an awful lot of pride involved as people try to be humble.
I don’t think this is as big a deal as you are making it out to be. Extreme Makeover is a fairly big hit. My guess is that they make a huge deal out of the fact that they are going to be in town and that they need volunteers. It is easy to sign up and a fairly short window to do “the volunteer thing”.
Habitat for Humanity is a lot tougher. I was interested in working with them locally. They don’t make it intuitively easy to figure out how to work with them. Go to the website, hunt and peck, make a few phone calls, wait for a call back, nothing in the works at the moment, they will call you as soon as they have something. Here are the people to talk to etc. etc. etc. It is not a fast hit. Having said that when the local news channel decided to sponsor a Habitat Home they got a LOT of volunteers
I think a lot of this is PR and marketing.
Interesting statistic recently on ABC News the other night. The number of people who volunteer in America has risen by 7 percent since the late 80’s.
So yes, I am proud to be an American not embarrassed.
The beautiful thing about America is that we are allowed to have individual values, even encouraged, most of the time, to have them. People flocking to the camera appears to be those individuals values. The fact that Habitat for Humanity even exists demonstrates that others have different values.
Yep despite all of her faults, still proud to be an American.
~Matt
Is there a reason you think this is specific to American values?
**Meanwhile, progress has stopped on several nearby Habitat for Humanity homes due to a lack of volunteers. **
Maybe you should spend less time on ST and more time swinging a hammer?
It really doesn’t tell me anything about American values.
Is there a reason you think this is specific to American values?
I definately do have a reason but, there might be a non-american who can better eloborate on this. IMO, Americans have in spades what I call “excess” – more income than needs. This is difficult to see when you’re in the midst of it. I could go on for hours on this subject but I’d like to see what others have to say first.
Americans have in spades what I call “excess” – more income than needs.
If you have too much, perhaps you should donate some of it, along with your time, to useful charities (like habitat for humanity) instead of criticizing the actions of others for volunteering for a charity you don’t deem to be appropriate.
Americans have in spades what I call “excess” – more income than needs.
If you have too much, perhaps you should donate some of it, along with your time, to useful charities (like habitat for humanity) instead of criticizing the actions of others for volunteering for a charity you don’t deem to be appropriate.
And you are certain that I don’t donate my excess time and income to charitable causes?
Anyone who would ask a question about being embarrassed about being an American, clearly has no idea what America is all about.
Americans are the most charitable people in the world and the most charitable in history.
If Habitat for Humanity isn’t getting enough volunteers in a particular area, maybe the local organizers need to work a little harder at recruiting instead of whining. I always see more volunteers than competitors at an IM, for example.
I admit they build some fine houses. The Habitat for Humanity houses down here don’t blow down in our hurricanes. Still, I would never work for an organization so closely linked to Carter, who bashes America (typically when overseas) at every turn. If you try to play in both attack politics and charity at the same time, expect consequences.
I prefer the Wounded Warriors fund.
Anyone who would ask a question about being embarrassed about being an American, clearly has no idea what America is all about.
Americans are the most charitable people in the world and the most charitable in history.
As the economic power of the world, America has a social responsibility to be chartiable. It is difficult for a mother in Africa to give anything when she can’t even feed her own children.
I take huge issue with the idea that Habitat plays politics. Yes, Jimmy Carter is a big proponent of Habitat and has been integral in Georgia in the program but Habitat is absolutely the kind of charity I can get behind. The idea that Habitat somehow is advancing a liberal agenda just isn’t true. If anything it is the absolute best kind of charity. You work, you earn.
Habitat operates on a local level.It requires those who are getting the home to put in hours of sweat equity. They usually do this on someone else’s house not their own prior to their own house being built. They screen the candidates who are eligible for the homes and often they come from the working poor or the disabled.
The problem with any charity like this is that it is hard work and a long term committment. A house isn’t built in a day and certainly where I live the houses go up in neighborhoods that the are not ones I usually frequent so I have to get up off my butt and go look to help out. It is a lot easier to get involved in a charity that fits my schedule better.
Having said that it is always in the back of my mind that I should be spending time helping Habitat for Humanity.
***best use of my funds *** *Quote | Reply *** * *
its that time of year… where i buy myself something(s) nice.
But there is just too much to consider…
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This guy in the tri forum knows what he’s doing with his excess!
IMO, Americans have in spades what I call “excess” – more income than needs.
For a vast majority of Americans I agree, although some still are without some of the fairly basic items. Recently had this discussion with the wife concerning the idea that it’s impossible to live in this country on one income, which I disagree with. I stated it’s probably impossible to live in this country on one income in a 5 bedroom, 3 bath house, 2 new cars, 3-4 TV’s, cable, broadband, 2 computers, wet bar etc etc etc. But if someone were to chose to live in a very modest home, say something that was the norm in the 40’s and 50’s, had one car, one TV with 3 stations, no cell phones and one parent stayed home to take care of the kids, then you could live fairly well on one income.
This is difficult to see when you’re in the midst of it.
Most definately and even easier to fall into the “Social norm” and believe you have a hard life when you’re “In the midst of it”. For the most part our “Poor” live far better than many countries middle and upper class. Driving thru our “slums” reveals that every other driveway has a car and nearly every house has a satelite dish on it, hardly “poor”.
I could go on for hours on this subject but I’d like to see what others have to say first.
Me too. In the end the only issue I have with this is not that I see a problem with having “excess”, but that at some times it is necessary to sacrafice some of the excess. IMHO this time has been upon us for many years now but we, as a nation, are having a difficult time accepting this.
~Matt
I don’t suggest that Habitat plays politics. I didn’t think MCI was trying to play politics either when they had Danny Glover as their spokesperson.
Both Carter and Glover come with baggage. It can’t help but reflect on the organizations that have those people as their image.
When Carter occupied himself driving nails, I thought he was a fine ex president. He decided he wanted a Nobel Peace Prize though, and the only way to get was to bash America. So he did.
Volunteering for Habitat is a fine thing to do. It is not for me though, given the baggage.
It is funny how those who make a show of being embarrassed to be an American, always seem to come back to America, if they ever even leave in the first place.
I am guessing you have a point in that post somewhere, but I have no idea what it might be. Was someone bashing starving African mothers?
Thank you
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I am guessing you have a point in that post somewhere, but I have no idea what it might be. Was someone bashing starving African mothers?
Does there happen to be a remedial english teacher in the room?
About a year ago I was in another country, working with a church in a somewhat remote mountain area. The priest, while driving us to our bus, described how if something happened and they needed a short but quick commitment of resources, everybody jumped to help out. But when the church asks for longer term commitments and leadership, such as that for Habitat homes, it was much more difficult. His example was that they were having difficulty getting regular tutors for women who had been smuggled into the country in forced prostitution. There was no problem getting people to help out when the organization was discovered and they needed clothes and food and temporary shelter. But trying to teach the women the language and how to use the computer to communicate with family in their home country ran the well dry.
I think that is just life, American or not.
Original statement: Americans are the most charitable people in the world and the most charitable in history.
My point:
American – 25 eggs in her basket
African – 1/2 egg in her basket; it takes 3 eggs to feed her family
Who has the greater responsibility to give up some egg? American or African?