Charity or donating to those less fortunate than ourselves has been the focus of a number of studies and news reports as of late. In the Presidential race, it was disclosed that while Barak Obama resides in a $1 million dollar home, his brother George survives in Kenya on $1 a month. Having traveled to Africa myself on a mission trip, it was striking to me while I was there how little financially it takes to have a real impact in someone’s life. It is also interesting to note that Sean Hannity, a conservative commenter, has said that if provided an address, he will himself send George $1,000.
Interestingly enough, Obama has stated “I think we should talk more about our empathy deficit – the ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes…the child who’s hungry, the laid-off steelworker, the immigrant woman cleaning your dorm room.” McCain, on the other hand, is living Obama’s words 24/7/365 having adopted a medically fragile infant entrusted to his wife’s care by Mother Theresa. The Obamas reported giving just .4 percent of their income to charitable causes in 2002, well below the national average of 2.2 percent. In 2007, McCain donated 26 percent of his income to charity (and 18 percent the previous year).
A 2006 study found “that conservatives who practice religion, live in traditional nuclear families, and reject the notion that government should engage in income redistribution are the most generous Americans, by any measure. Who Really Cares? America’s Charity Divide: Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters by Syracuse University professor Arthur Brooks as highlighted in the May 2008 Limbaugh Letter.
This study found that “Conservative households in America donate 30 percent more money to charity each year than liberal households.” This is despite the fact that the liberal households make 6 percent more than the conservative families do according to Brooks. “If liberals gave blood like conservatives do, the blood supply in the U.S. would jump by about 45 percent.” “The average South Dakota family gives away 75 percent more of its household income each year than the average family in San Francisco.” People who do not think that “government has a responsibility to reduce income inequality” give four times more to charity than those who do think so.
In fact, data from the nonpartisan Catalogue For Philanthropy ranked states by a “Generosity Index.” Of the top 28 most charitable states, 27 voted for George W. Bush in 2004 and thus, are considered Red or Republican.
Conservatives understand that we, as individuals, are best equipped to see the problems around us and meet those needs. A large, inefficient governmental bureaucracy is not the solution. Hurricane Katrina demonstrated the ability of individuals and faith-based organizations to step in and effectively make a difference. We need to keep national leadership that understands this as well.
See: http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008808240312
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