HUMAN KINDNESS, OVERFLOWING

BY DAN MILLER
(originally posted January 4, 2005)

None of us alive today has ever witnessed anything like what's happening in south Asia.... except perhaps in wartime.

Even in war, the terrible toll on human life, and devastation of cities and countries, is stretched out over months and years.

But in this case, through no fault of war, or tyrants, or terrorists -- in a matter of minutes -- the world changed... literally. And there's no one to blame.

Yet people are lashing out at other people. I know..... amazingly, I've gotten emails and letters from people full of venom.... angry that the U.S. is sending any money to south Asia.

Here's a direct quote from one letter I received:
"You want the tsunami victims to have more money -- write them a check! I say let the United Nations kick in some of the hundred of billions they got from our hard earned 'oil for food' money."

There are people quite upset at the news media because we pointed out that this country's initial pledge of $35 million equaled the same amount we spend EVERY FOUR HOURS in Iraq.
I believe it was absolutely fair to offer some perspective on what the government said would be it's initial aid to tsunami victims, compared to our war expenses.

We all knew the government would send more money. We all knew the generosity of the American people would come through. There was never any doubt that Americans would help at whatever level was necessary.

But a fact is a fact. And the initial pledge from the government -- publicly announced -- was $35 million.
Criticism was fast and widespread, from inside this country and abroad.
We were called stingy.

War is not the only event that justifies massive expenditures, and Americans -- being fair minded and generous people -- know that.
I say the obligation to help fellow humans from the cataclysmic effects of a natural disaster is equally as important as freeing a nation from the tyranny of a ruthless leader..... and arguably more urgent.

It's the news media's job to report the facts. Those were the facts.
And when people heard that initial figure, they were astonished and dismayed. But that was the only figure given to us by the government.
Were we not to report it?
Were we to hold off because we felt ashamed that our country had specified a low figure?

Frankly, I hope our leaders in Washington made special note of the public's reaction.

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