Need not be rich to be charitable
Imagine a world without charity. There would be no homeless shelters, no humane societies for animals, no organization to save the whales, world, etc. Charity is not only defined as a foundation to help the needy, but it's also acting kindly toward others.
No charity would mean no one would hold doors open for people with arms full of groceries. No one would help you if you happened to drop your suitcase and papers went flying everywhere. Foundations of charity started with people just caring about other people.
Giving to charity gives opportunities to those who are less fortunate. Homelessness is an example. According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, about 3.5 million people will experience homelessness in a year. These people need food to eat and places to sleep, just like you and I do. Donating to a homeless shelter can help it afford to house more people, keeping more off the streets. These people are then able to stop worrying about surviving for one night, and think about where to go next. Instead of having to spend what little money they have, they can save up a little. They can focus on trying to find a good, steady job, or a place for themselves, instead of having to constantly think about whether or not they will be safe tonight.
Some would point out that not everyone has the money to donate to any charity. The good thing about charity is that you don't have to always give money. You can volunteer your time instead, whether it be at a soup kitchen or a pet shelter. You don't have to be rich to give to charity anyone can help out by just giving their time, which I think is much more valuable than money. You can't buy compassion; you can only give it.
Monika Arbudzinski
West Chicago
Vote all of them out in November
We are under the control of a corrupt Congress. Why would anyone spend millions of dollars in return for a $174,000-per-year job? Does anyone actually believe they actually have representation? Ever try getting a return phone call?
Did they pass health care which doesn't address cost, tort reform or open competition against the will of the majority of the people? What it does do is add 158 more federal bureaucracies and 16,000 IRS agents to control our lives.
They even had the guts not to address the Bush tax cuts until after their elections. Can you imagine: We don't know the amount of money they will take out of our paychecks and spend it as they see fit, before the elections?
The majority of Americans are against all the bailouts, yet they continue with zero results. The Federal Reserve will not say where the money went. In addition Chairman Ben Bernake told Congress you can't audit us because we're an “independent organization.
Today, unions are the new government. They finance and control our so-called representation. As government expands at a record pace, who benefits? It's not the taxpayer. This is nothing more than expansion of union jobs, and all those generous pensions guaranteed by the taxpayer, who in return may never be able to retire. What would the colonists think of this representation?
The leaders of both parties continue to pursue schemes to spend us into bankruptcy and thus control us and future generations. Let's vote out all incumbents in November and start over.
Paul Jendrycki
Roselle