This is the Insurgent Radio Kiosk for Thursday, December 26th
Hightower Commentary
Action Calendar
This special day got me to thinking about America’s spirit of giving, and I don’t mean this overdone business of Christmas gifts. I mean our true spirit of giving — giving of ourselves.
Yes, we are a country of rugged individualists, yet there’s also a deep, community-minded streak in each of us. We’re a people who believe in the notion that we’re all in this together, that we can make our individual lives better by contributing to the common good.
The establishment media pay little attention to grassroots generosity, focusing instead on the occasional showy donation by what it calls “philanthropists” — big tycoons who give a little piece of their billions to some university or museum in exchange for getting a building named after them. But in my mind, the real philanthropists are the millions of you ordinary folks who have precious little money to give, but consistently give of themselves, and do it without demanding that their name be engraved on a granite wall.
My own Daddy, rest his soul, was a fine example of this. With half a dozen other guys in Denison, Texas, he started the Little League baseball program volunteering to build the park, sponsor and coach the teams, run the squawking P.A. system, etc. etc. Even after I graduated from Little League, Daddy stayed working at it, because his involvement was not merely for his kids . . . but for all. He felt the same way about being taxed to build a public library in town. I don’t recall him ever going in that building, much less checking-out a book, but he wanted it to be there for the community and he was happy to pay his part. Not that he was a do-good liberal, for God’s sake — indeed, he called himself a conservative.
My Daddy didn’t even know he had a political philosophy, but he did, and it’s the best I’ve ever heard. He would often say to me, “Everybody does better when everybody does better.” If only our leaders in Washington and on Wall Street would begin practicing this true American Philosophy.
Hightower’s commentaries are brought to you by The Hightower Lowdown, the monthly newsletter with Hightower’s take on what Wall Street and Washington are up to. For information, visit hightowerlowdown.org.
It’s today’s Action Calendar!
Change a life! Become a tutor! Literacy Network needs volunteers to tutor local, low-income adults to improve their English language and basic computer skills. This will enable them to achieve financial security, improve their health, support their children’s education and enjoy a deeper engagement with our community. Training and support will be provided. For more information, visit litnetwork.org.
Are you a local news junkie? Put it to good use by joining the WORT news team as a reporter. WORT’s 6 p.m. news broadcast needs volunteers to report stories of local interest. No journalism experience needed. WORT will provide training. The ideal candidate will be open-minded, curious, meticulous and a bulldog about nailing the facts. Being comfortable working on deadline is also critical. Shifts are available on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from approximately 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call the station at 256-2001 and ask for Interim News Director Chali (SHAH-lee) Pittman.
Dane County Friends of Ferals volunteers are dedicated to bettering the future of feral cats. Their mission is to establish a no-kill standard and promote the value and well-being of Dane County area feral cats. Call 467-4067 for details.
The Insurgent Radio Kiosk is a four minute, pre-recorded segment featuring a commentary and a calendar of daily events. Events must be low cost or non-profit and of interest to people in and around the WORT listening area. Please submit announcements at least ten days before the event at wortfm.org/kiosk/announcements.
The Kiosk is available online at wortfm.org/kiosk.
This has been the Insurgent Radio Kiosk heard weekdays at 5:00, 6:30 and 9:00 AM and at 2:00 PM. With Engineer Greg, I’m Chali Pittman. Submit announcements at least ten days in advance of the event at wortfm.org/kiosk/announcements.