Issue date: 4/16/09 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Natalie Cervantes [Click to enlarge]

With the state of the economy, it's hardly surprising to learn that America's homeless population is growing. With people crying out for help, the government is digging itself into debt, selling its soul to China and raising taxes on all those not-yet-homeless. And it isn't working.

There's an oft-quoted plaque on the Statue of Liberty that reads:

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me"

I wonder what it was the author of that poem, Emma Lazarus, planned to do with those homeless, poor and hungry once they were all gathered. I doubt very much that it is in the spirit of her poem that we should dump the needy at the feet of the government and ask them to please take care of it.

We have an excellent, exceptional government for managing a country which enjoys freedoms unheard of under other regimes; where the rights of individuals are protected and laws are enacted democratically. However, it is not an ideal system for taking care of those who need help, who are often overlooked. Private citizens and businesses need to engage in social justice in order to take the strain off the government.

One example of a business taking initiative is Clorox, which is offering a $5,000 reward and a year of free cleaning products for clues leading to the arrest of the "toilet torcher," who has set over two dozen portable toilets ablaze at San Francisco construction sites.

They're not the only ones taking an interest in caring for our country. Many companies donate to charities that support the needy.

Individuals can make a difference, too. Jorge Muñoz, profiled in a CNN article this week, spends over half his weekly paycheck to feed the hungry in Queens, N.Y. In four years, he estimates he's served 70,000 meals out of his pick-up truck.

Muñoz is just one example of the theory that if everyone does their part to take care of their neighbors and those they encounter daily, we can bear the burden of these troubled times together. College Station isn't all students and hasn't been spared the economic downturn. There are children just down the street who are hungry, from families who don't know where next month's rent is going to come from and can't afford birthday presents or other frivolities this year.

It's no secret that college students aren't known for having a lot of funds. Maybe you can't pay anyone's rent but your own; you can, however, drop off some canned goods or toys at local shelters. Alternatively, there's always a way to make a difference for free by volunteering your time or knowledge at charities. Even as students who don't have much, we should lead by the example of helping our neighbors in need.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools