True Affection

I particularly enjoyed the reading for class tomorrow. I think John Winthrop does a great job elaboration on the necessity to support our fellow Americans and our fellow human beings. Still, some of the lines from his essay were a bit unclear and provoked some interesting thoughts. Winthrop suggests that "we must entertain each other in brotherly affection" (pg. 9). I have to wonder though, if everybody is encouraged to support each other. Yes, the rich are always asked, and many times required, to support the poor. I am not suggesting that this is a bad thing. But it is rare to hear of the poor being thankful for gifts they have been given and even rarer to hear of the poor giving back to their supporters. Perhaps this is because private donations are becoming more and more rare. For us as Americans to be able to truly support each other, according to Winthrop, the affection must go both ways. Also, Winthrop explains that if "thou pour out the soul to the hungry" (pg. 4), then God will forever guide us. Pouring out one's soul is very different from writing a check. I think that private donations and charities are very important, because they mean so much more. Perhaps instead of forcing wealthy Americans to give away their money, we can encourage them to give it away by choice.