Responsible Stewardship Is About More Than Just The “Green”.
If you don’t believe that being a good steward also means watching out for those less fortunate, you aren’t paying attention to big picture. Quite often, I am told through emails, direct messages, and instant messenger, that I should stick to just talking about environmental issues. Some of my readers here on the site, along with Twitter and Facebook, only want to hear about the “green” stuff and nothing else. And every time I hear from people about this, I respond with the same thing… that stewardship is about more than just being eco-friendly. It’s about doing the right thing – for the less fortunate, for those suffering, for those with heavier burdens to bear than ourselves. It’s about standing up for people who cannot stand up for themselves – using your voice to let their words be heard by those in charge.
Unfortunately, there are many, many people who only care about what they can do or get for themselves – the “I’m gonna get mine” mentality. The problem with this attitude is that by only being concerned with getting theirs, a lot of other people around the world suffer. As an example, my homemade add-on to Wal-mart’s slogan is “Save Money. Live Better. …at the expense of other humans living on the same planet as you.” While one may be thrilled about saving $.50 by shopping there, there is a much higher cost behind those 2 quarters that isn’t seen by shoppers. Knowing this, and thinking about where you shop and spend your money, is part of being a good steward!
Another aspect of good stewardship ties into the healthcare debate. While many believe that healthcare should only be for those who can afford it, I truly believe that the ability to see a doctor should be a human right – not a privilege. No one should go ever bankrupt taking care of a family member! Even with decent insurance, last year I shelled out over $10,000 of my own money for 2 major medical issues – both of which, with the way insurance is run now, will prevent me from ever getting private health insurance again. There is something seriously wrong with the way the system is run, and something needs to change. All children should be able to see a doctor, free of charge, any time they need to. These are KIDS we are talking about! As for adults, private insurance should be able to stay as their own entity – but a public option should be available to those people who are not happy with the private insurance they have had before. As for the folks who think private insurance is the only way to go, and the free market should rule, I might ask you – if free market rules, what are you afraid of? If private insurance is so great, then they have nothing to worry about from any government sponsored plan, right? You can keep your private insurance if you enjoy paying more and getting less. I, however, would go with a public option the day it came out. I know firsthand what it is like to pay a fortune for private insurance only to have them not actually cover most of the things you might need. The word “insurance” seems to be a misnomer with these companies.
Responsible Stewardship Is About More Than Just The “Green”. It’s about looking beyond the end of your nose to see that there is a whole world of people just like you – some capable of making it on their own, and some in need of a lift up. Some that need looking out for, and some that just want something to eat and to go to the doctor. We are, in fact, all in this together and we all go in the end – it would be fantastic to see more of us start acting accordingly! 
Post from: The Good Human
Responsible Stewardship Is About More Than Just The “Green”.
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