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AMERICAN GENEROSITYAs we consider our American heritage, we should remember that America, too often criticized for greed and excess, is unparalleled in generosity.Canadian radio commentator Gordon Sinclair said at the height of American criticism abroad in the 1970s that the United States is the "most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the Earth." We are still the most generous people in the world today.Often the benefactors (recipients) of American generosity capture it best. "There is a reason the world always looks to America," Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in an address to Congress last year. "Your city on a hill cannot be hidden. Your brave and free people have made you the masters of recovery and reinvention."The critics of the American capitalist system are many, but when disaster strikes, the world still turns to America. One thinks most recently of Japan and Haiti. Not only did the United States send hundreds of millions of dollars in aid, but it also sent troops, food, water and medical supplies. We remember the moving picture of "Thank you USA" etched in the mud next to a rescue helicopter landing circle in Japan. In surveys taken around the world, the United States is most popular in Africa, a continent we've given billions of dollars to help fight AIDS, starvation and other diseases. But we also donate more than money. Generations of Americans have sacrificed their lives to fight and die for freedom around the world. The Chronicle of Philanthropy, which tracks the corporate giving of America's largest companies, recently reported that total cash donations by this group rose 13% last year to almost $5 billion. Kroger, the Cincinnati supermarket operator, gave away an astounding 10.9% of its $589 million pre-tax profits, totaling $64 million. Wal-Mart Stores donated the most cash last year, $319 million. As for individuals, a new American Red Cross poll suggests that while Americans had to tighten their budgets, they are still as committed to giving to charity as ever. American generosity is not dependent on the government or public policy. It should be pointed out that Americans, often criticized by other countries as greedy capitalists, give far more to charity than foreign citizens. Americans also give more blood and donate more of their time to volunteer work than people from other countries. Generosity is in no way demanded or required by our Constitution or laws, yet it is an inherent part of America's cultural fabric. Compared to the rest of the world, American benevolence is unmatched. In the annals of human history, there has never been a country as compassionate and generous as the United States. When Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Russian novelist who defied communism, visited America, he said, "The United States has long shown itself to be the most magnanimous, the most generous country in the world. Wherever there is a flood, an earthquake, a fire, a natural disaster, an epidemic, who is the first to help? The United States. Who helps the most and unselfishly? The United States." This story was carried by CNN NewsQUESTIONS1. Summarize in one complete sentence what you learned about our country from this article.2. What historical term did Australian Prime Minister Gillard use to describe the United States? What is the origin of this term? 3. According to the article, America is more popular in Africa than on any other continent. Because of our past history, this seems a bit ironic (strange and a little hard to believe). WHY? 4. According to the American Red Cross, even when the economy is not good and money is in short supply, what happens to Americans’ commitment to charitable giving?5. How do you think the revival of faith that occurred during the GREAT AWAKENING might have helped start this wonderful PRECEDENT of American generosity? ................
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