The kindness of strangers

With the holiday season abruptly upon us, we should be looking at the news and seeing signs of happiness and gaiety. But with hard times, it is more difficult to see these happy moments. We must look deeper than the surface, and we must now learn to enjoy the small things and keep an eye out for them. With politics headed the way they are, things are going to get interesting really quickly.

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People are suffering from the down economy, and more people than ever showed up for a free meal at St. Vincent’s Catholic Community Center on Thanksgiving. A report in the Reno Gazette-Journal stated that around 1,000 free hot meals were handed out. This could be seen as a sign of hard times for many people. But it could also be seen as a sign of hope, and not in the Barack Obama sense of “hope.” This is the sort of hope that comes from people coming together in hard times, and it’s exemplified by those who can help out and give. They aren’t doing this because they are being forced to be humanitarians by Democrats’ tax standards. These people are helping out because they can, and they are doing it of their own free will.

John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks donated the meals for the dinner at St. Vincent’s on Thanksgiving. It’s a very charitable and kind notion, and it means even more because they weren’t forced to do so. Even though these people are so generous in a time of great need, we undoubtedly will see a decrease in this sort of kindness if taxes are raised.

Joe Biden’s idea of “patriotism” is a nice thought, but it’s one of the most unrealistic concepts that could face us. I am talking about how Biden seems to think it is patriotic for the rich to pay higher taxes. What is the purpose of breaking the backs of those who are supporting this country through an economic crisis?

The government is not Robin Hood, and I think our politicians have forgotten this, especially the liberal politicians. Now is not the time to rob the poor by allowing their money to be lost in a bureaucratic mess. If taxes are raised, places like the Nugget that are so kind on days like Thanksgiving will be forced to cut back on their charity and possibly their jobs.

It was wonderful to see such generosity on Thanksgiving, and it will be wonderful to continue to see it through the holidays. All I can do, along with the rest of the Republicans in this country, is hope that this will be able to continue in the next four years.

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On another note, an arrest was finally made in the Brianna Denison case. This is a desperately sad story that finally has a sense of closure for the family and for the community. The man, James Biela, allegedly was caught with undeniable evidence.

This tragic case was a wakeup call for the college-aged girls of the Reno community, leaving many to think they are not safe on campus or in their homes. Friends came together as a community support group to help people cope with Brianna’s death and to help other girls feel safe in the community.

I just want to say that I am glad that this case is approaching its end. I hope girls across Reno are more aware of their surroundings because of this horrific incident. And lastly, though Brianna’s loss is inconsolable, I think the entire community hopes some sort of peace is found with the capture of this murderer and that her family finds some solace.