Some explanation seems to be in order. Billionaires and millionaires are most likely most interested in the bottom line rather than the helping hand — except as it helps the former. By definition, volunteers are not paid. Most spend not just time and energy, but also their own resources wherever and however they help out.
Volunteers choose where to go and whom to help as their hearts and consciences draw them. Every hand is needed.
Locally, some volunteers may work on the border and some in homeless shelters or food banks; others are perhaps docents at the zoo. Nationally and internationally, there is always way more need than can ever be fulfilled.
If you haven’t already, you might visit one of the outfits working with migrants. You could inquire about their accounting practices, and also see firsthand the dire circumstances confronted on both sides of the issue.
Charity may begin at home, but the Bible also exhorts us to be kind to strangers, for “thereby some have entertained angels unaware.” Any one of us might be the angel some poor soul is desperately seeking. See Matthew 25:35-40.
C.B. Bolyn
Brownsville
Trump defense
draws response
Considering all the “bad” things we know about Donald Trump, Darrell Williams Sr. from McAllen wishes to inform the “uninformed” of the supposedly “good” things Trump did for America (Jan. 19). For one, unlike previous presidents, Trump didn’t start any “foreign” wars. And for that, the majority of Americans are very happy.
Donald Trump, however, unlike many previous presidents, did masterfully con an army of “useful idiots” to attack our revered Capitol so that he could stay in power. And damn the majority of Americans who dared to vote against him!
Did Republicans believe this was wrong? Of course they did! But any voices that spoke against Trump’s tyrannical behavior were cowardly, not very numerous and not very loud.
And when Democrats succeeded in impeaching Trump twice, Republicans weren’t much concerned about that either. They dismissed the accusations and blissfully acquitted him. The only thing missing were the kisses. Or maybe not.
The truth is, if a Democrat president had initiated a similar incident just so he could stay in power, Republicans would have been hypocritically and dramatically outraged!
In this case, however, it was a Republican president who forcefully wanted to stay in power. And no matter how embarrassing it would be to associate themselves with the hoodlums who stormed the Capitol and defecated and urinated in it, keeping Trump in power was all that mattered. After all, wink, wink, it was he who managed to give them three ultra-conservative Supreme Court Justices.
Fortunately for America, Joe Biden trumped Trump and democracy was victorious — for now.
If Trump has any bright accomplishments in his bio that we can all be proud of, do like Darrell Williams did — enlighten the “uninformed.” But regardless of how much light one can shine upon him, Trump’s tyrannical attempt to destroy our centuries-old democracy just so that he could save his egotistical, narcissistic butt will forever darken his place in history. And that’s the way it is. Mark my words.
Italo J. Zarate
Brownsville
