Pew Research Findings

Government doesn’t do everything. Some people think it does. Others tend to believe the first group that government is overstepping its authority and doing way too much and thus is taking over our lives. I think all of these people should calm down and examine the facts.

Some of those facts are these:

1. We the people authorize most government programs to exist; we do that through public discussion and outright lobbying of our elected reps. We ask them to vote for various bills and initiatives.
2. Churches and other human care charities do a lot of base line services to people in need. This includes emergency financial help, emergency housing, transportation to hospital or clinics for care of urgent symptoms, talk and pastoral counseling to calm the distressed so they can think more clearly, and so on and so forth.
3. Private foundations provide a lot of assistance to those in need; such assistance is in housing, healthcare, mental health and subsistence aid. Food, basic necessities of life (clothes, toiletries, paper products, transportation, etc.) are provided as well.
4. Corporate foundations provide charitable assistance to those less fortunate.
5. Private foundations support research and development of new technologies, medical knowledge and procedures.
6. Private entities form hospitals, clinics and other massive health care services without government subsidy.
7. Companies conduct research and development activities to ensure they have the best products in the market place and plan for the next generation of products that are sure to emerge over time. When in doubt these companies fund university research projects to create new standards in science and technology
8. Many universities and K thru 12 schools are privately funded and serve the public. This has been a common feature throughout American history. 

Itching for something new, many organizations fund research initiatives. Ask the Pew Foundation what their own research has found over the years. They self fund this research, and also fund academic research in addition. What’s going on in America? Ask Pew and you will learn the what and the how. They’ve been around for a long time and have an enviable record of unbiased, true research.

A lot is going on in America. We are not people who sit back and rest on our laurels. The very nature of our society and culture is to strive for unique products and services and make a name for ourselves in doing so. This value structure has built a healthy, competitive society willing to use native intelligence and genius to improve mankind. We give away much of what we produce. We share our wealth with those countries less fortunate. We give them our healthcare services and pharmaceuticals. We send engineers and materials to drill fresh water wells, build dams and harness and manage water resources. Agricultural equipment and know-how is also shared so other nations can grow their own food sustainably long into the future. We export education support to these same nations.

Developed nations buy our goods and services, but often they produce their own. We collaborate with many nations to manage peace and thwart wars. We work together to safeguard the planet’s environment.

Why we are so bent on misrepresenting government, private parties, and organizations efforts and gifts, is beyond me. The government is not all things to all people; nor should it be. But it isn’t that now here in our nation. Never has been. A proper balance between public and private will always be a healthy discussion. This is the cutting edge of many new initiatives, and rightly so.

So, rather than decrying over reliance on government, know that much of this work really begins with and is done by private parties. And that’s a good thing. May there be more of the same!

July 24, 2017