The Right Way to Help Others

by Mark Morelli
August 18, 2006

I was driving along, flipping around the radio dial, when I hear Rush Limbaugh's going "wah-wah-wah" in sympathy for the American citizens in Lebanon.

Now that's compassionate conservatism.

I never expected it from Limbaugh, but I was thrilled to hear, finally, from a right winger, a heartfelt reaction from an American for Americans trapped in the crossfire between Israel and Hezballah.

Hold it a second.

Rush was choking up, getting teary-eyed, in mockery of the Americans who were crying to be helped out of the war zone. His voice sounded exactly like the wicked witch sneering at Dorothy: "Help me, Auntie Em, I'm frightened."

And he's right.

We all want to make the world better, but everybody's got a hand out, like hurricane Katrina victims whining to the CNN cameras, "Waaah, my baby doesn't have any water! Waaah, my great-grandpa is out of insulin!"

Another famous needy person from New Orleans once said, "I have always relied on the kindness of strangers," but what's the point of helping someone if she's just going to be hauled off in a straight jacket?

My point is: How do we know people deserve our kindness?

In the Good Samaritan story, we only hear about the third guy who stopped to help a man who'd been beaten and robbed.

Two others passed him by, and do we know why?

No, but maybe we should.

Maybe the first two guys passed by because they knew something or two about this so-called victim.

Maybe he pushed drugs.

Maybe he was coming on to other men, pushing his agenda.

There may have been perfectly good reasons for the guy to have gotten the snot beat out of him, and equally good reasons to pass him by and let him "stew in his own broth."

I'm not advocating we turn our backs on everybody. At least not right away. But there have to be some standards. You don't sink good money after bad, and you don't bother helping those who aren't worth helping.

That's why I've using the coupon below and you can, too. Print it out and make copies, hand them out to people who seem like they are in need of help. But do them a favor. Make sure they read the fine print. It'd be a terrible shame if they were just wasting their time.