Japan

I wanted to title this post, "My Faith in Humanity Has Tentatively Been Restored." 

If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you'll realize that I don't have a lot of patience or tolerance for racism.  To be perfectly clear, I think that racism is completely and totally stupid and ignorant.  I'll go a step further and say that I think that racists have some sort of an inferiority complex and the only way that they can feel better about themselves is to lash out against members of races other than their own.

Why do they feel that way?  I have no freaking idea.  It makes absolutely no sense to me.

Racism is stupid and short-sighted.  Racists are ignorant fools who are content to live in their own state of foolishness.  I can't understand why one person would, based solely on race, form any opinion about another human being.  We are all part of the human race, people!!!  And we are far more similar than different. . .why focus on our differences?

Over the years, I have noted a fair amount of e-mails and Facebook statuses about how upset the writer (or sharer) is about funding or aid that the United States has given or pledged toward impoverished nations or nations who are wounded by natural disasters.  Most often, I chalk those statuses up to racism because they are often focused on countries that are full of so-called "icky foreigners" and there is no real substance to the complaints.  It's just people feeling disgruntled over money given to people who don't look like the complainer.  I've yet to read a complaint about the US offering aid to predominently English-speaking countries. . .just sayin'.

I'm cautiously optimistic about humanity in that I've yet to see a Facebook status complaining about international aid that is being given to our friends in Japan.  Please understand that our Japanese brothers and sisters are dealing with a disaster of epic proportions.  It would be heartless and inhumane to expect them to suffer alone without our care or assistance.  YES!  IT WOULD BE HEARTLESS AND INHUMANE TO EXPECT THEM TO SUFFER ALONE!!

As I've said countless times before, our poor in the US are far richer than those who are in the midst of suffering.  I am extremely libertarian and somewhat conservative from a political standpoint, but I believe this to be true:  It is our duty and privelege to give to those who need it more than us!  Thank goodness for our forced taxes and our volunteered charitable giving is what I say in these situations!  Thank goodness indeed!

Are you on Facebook complaining about the international aid being given to Japan?  THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS!!  It could so easily be you in the throes of one natural disaster after another. . .followed by the threat of a nuclear meltdown.  Join me in praying for the people of Japan. . .they will surely need the hand of God in the midst of this crisis!

On a personal note, my sister-in-law is Japanese and her entire family still resides there.  She is a lovely woman and I ache for how she must hurt over the devastation suffered by her homeland and her countrymen.  I can't imagine how pained I'd be if anything happened to my beloved California while I was living abroad. . .