Industrial Distribution

Jack Keough

The real meaning of charity
September 12, 2005

A few months ago, a friend of mine asked why I hadn’t gone to see a movie that he previously raved about.  I think my response took him by surprise when I said was having trouble separating the actor in the movie from the jerk he was in real life. I had listened to this actor talk politics one time, and ever since I’d been turned off by his arrogance and stupidity. He’s not the only “celebrity” who falls into that same category, at least with me.

Celebrities. Love them or hate them. There’s no middle ground.

To their credit, many celebrities have stepped up to the plate and donated large sums of money to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. There were a few who should have signed their checks and shut their mouths, but that seems like an impossible task. During a national fundraiser on live television for Katrina victims, one hip hop artist let his political bias take center stage when he made an outlandish comment that drew attention away from the event. I couldn’t help wonder: When was the last time he had volunteered to help those less fortunate? How many evacuees is he sheltering in one of his homes?

Celebrities love politicians. Politicians love celebrities--particularly when they donate to their campaigns. Politicians on both sides of the aisle should stop finger pointing and trying to use this terrible tragedy for their advantage. This is the time for all of us to come together. Instead, it seems we’re more divided than ever, strictly because of politics. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Instead of placing blame (and there will be plenty of time for that in the weeks and months ahead) it would be nice to focus on the true heroes of this mass evacuation of residents from New Orleans. These are people like the members of the U.S. Coast Guard who risked their lives time and time again as they rescued nearly 10,000 people from rooftops and attics of homes as floodwaters surged through the city. I didn’t hear this hip-hop artist give them any credit.

There are also heroes such as youngsters throughout our country who set up lemonade stands and sold baked goods in their neighborhoods to raise small amounts of money for relief agencies such as the American Red Cross. Other people, who were tired of the red tape and bureaucracy, got together to buy and send huge truckloads of badly needed relief supplies to shelters in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. 

From our own industry, hero companies and associations emerged: the Industrial Supply Association, W.W. Grainger, Hughes Supply, Ferguson Enterprises, and a number of other companies that donated money and supplies to be used in the relief efforts.

The American spirit is still alive and well. Hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and other natural disasters bring out the best in all of us. Unfortunately, it can also bring out the worst.
 

Posted by Jack Keough on September 12, 2005 | Comments (3)