Haiti Aide - Must or Should?

Who is entitled to my charity? The Haitian or the Islamic Extremist? Or is either?


The devastation in Haiti is undeniable and helping their plight no question. The United States has always and will continue to lend a hand to the rest of the world when needed. But it does bring a question to mind whether the government alone has the right to make that decision. Just note a couple of quotes from our founding fathers.

"I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents...." --James Madison

"A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labour the bread which it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities” (something that creates happiness, RC). --Thomas Jefferson

Without the peoples’ will, the Constitution and other founding articles do not support using government monies indiscriminately or without regard to founding philosophies for which our government was built upon.

I say this not to in any way impugn the good intentions we as a nation have up to this time nobly and graciously given to others when needed. I believe we generally do these great deeds with the intention of supporting humanitarian values supported by our governments founding philosophy. But what if, someday, someone determines a contrary value to ones normally followed and it becomes our governments will to support? We, as the people, have the right to rise up and deny it as a Republic when the majority rules.

I only hope we never have to make that resolve.