Hey Pandas, Would You Act To Save A Stranger?

As our political and societal climate begins to resemble dystopian fantasy more and more each day, resisting despair in the face of the desecration of everything that truly makes our nation great is difficult—but more vital than ever. If we are to retain our humanity through the dark age we are rapidly entering, empathy and the true meaning of “love your neighbor” must be our priority.

Here’s one way that calling has manifested in my life, and it’s something nearly everyone can take part in.

When the U.S. pulled out of the World Health Organization, I, like many others, was appalled by the egregious wrong. The noble and ongoing work of the WHO benefits every person on the planet, but especially the underserved across the globe.

As someone who is not wealthy—and likely never will be—I wanted to know what I could do to help beyond simply waiting for the next election, a future event that, given the current state of our nation, feels increasingly uncertain. So, I started crunching the numbers and realized that we could replace these lost funds ourselves—and it would cost less than a combo meal at McDonald's.

• The U.S. is reneging on approximately $1.2 billion in funding to the World Health Organization.
• The current U.S. adult population (age 18 and up) is about 258 million people.
• If you subtract the people who voted for Trump—since it stands to reason they might be reluctant to participate—that leaves about 181.5 million adults who either voted for Harris, an independent candidate, or did not vote.
• If all 181.5 million of those people donated just $7 to the WHO, we could replace the U.S. funding ourselves without needing federal government intervention.
• The donations would total over $1.27 billion.

And in case you’re wondering—yes, my household has already made its donation.

For just seven dollars, we can send this abysmal administration a clear and powerful message while ensuring a vital organization continues its lifesaving work across the world. Best of all, even those who refuse to support the WHO will still benefit from its work. That’s the beauty of unconditional human dignity.

So, what do you think? Will you resist today by caring for a suffering stranger?