We Can't Forget Our Social Responsibility

In light of the holiday, I want people to reflect on their contributions to the world around them. Contributions come in many shapes and sizes. A contribution can be a billion dollar donation to charity or a friendly smile while holding a door for a stranger. Both contributions have something in common; they depend on each other. A billion dollar check is only as effective as the people who volunteer to load supplies into a semi trailer; a good samaritan that checks on the homeless; or the people who sacrifice their own personal lives to provide services to victims of disaster. Sometimes money can't buy smiles and smiles cannot make money. Sometimes the large contributions overshadow the importance of the smaller ones. The important thing to remember is that everyone can make a difference.

I'd like to see a world where "That's just the way it is" and "One person cannot do anything about it" are no longer excuses not to conquer difficult injustices in society. The world was once shaken when a woman refused to move to the back of a bus. Sometimes it's the seemingly insignificant incidents in life that can provide the spark for a social revolution. It's our job catch the spark when we see it and accept the moral and social responsibility that comes with the power to bring change.