The Burr in the Burgh

The United States is always one of the first nations to offer aid to other countries when they are hit with natural disasters. A few years ago, when that town in Iran was completely destroyed by a massive earthquake, the U.S. was there in droves. More recently, when those Russian submariners were trapped, the U.S. was sending in military rescue teams, pronto.

This article from the Washington Times details some of the international response to our current crisis. Needless to say, the U.S. has many friends in the world community and a number of kind offers have been made.

The perception, however, by many is that America is so rich that we need no assistance. But that isn't really the point, is it? Americans are some of the most generous people in the world. I remember reading Stephen Ambrose's books on World War II. And he says that when the Americans were finally invading Germany, the local German folk were happy to see them. And that's because they knew that the Americans, unlike the Russians or the French, would not rape their women and pillage their homes. I'm not trying to say that Americans are sinless, only that it has been a common trait of our culture to be neighborly, and that includes lending a hand when trouble strikes.

If you want to donate money to help, go here.

Hat tip to Bad Hair Blog.