Why are we so afraid of helping others?

No matter where I look these days, I can’t help but notice the growing sense of selfishness and isolation within our country. Like most things, I feel it begins at the top and I worry the fractures in the foundation of human decency will be felt even at the bottom.

On Friday, President Donald Trump toyed with the idea of “getting rid of FEMA,” a federally funded program to help states when they cannot recover from disasters by their own means. In recent history, North Carolina applied for help from FEMA after being torn apart by Hurricane Helene and California requested assistance following the wildfires – both of which did millions of dollars in damage, displaced families and contributed to loss of life.

Removing FEMA and taking away the means for these communities to receive additional help they can’t get from their states is such a scary precedent and example to set. There is a vast disparity of wealth between states and expecting every state to self-fund assistance for tragedies is not the answer. If the government’s purpose is not to be a support system for the states within its scope, then what is it doing for the average citizen and what do our tax dollars even accomplish? Why would we want to dismantle something each and every one of us are one earthquake, hurricane, flood or fire away from needing?

For a country whose name is the “United” States, I don’t know what happened to the whole unity part of matters. Politically, I don’t know if our country has ever been more divided and, with that separation, we seem to have forgotten many of the human aspects we should be considering. There is more thought on bottom lines, loopholes and how to pad one’s own wellbeing before the betterment of others.

I’m not sure if I’ve just not been aware enough to see it or if the polarization is a relatively new development, but all the same, I’m appalled at some of the things I am seeing come down from the government and worry about the long-term implications. We have become self-centered, each person and state looking inward rather than outward, seeing how to bolster oneself before considering the finer points of being a hand up for your supposed neighbors and allies. Since the inauguration, I’ve seen such hatred spewing from both sides, and I feel people need to remember that who is in office shouldn’t have any bearing on how you treat others. You can’t – or shouldn’t – use someone’s presence in the Oval Office as an excuse to turn a blind eye to the needs of others.

I genuinely hope FEMA is not dissolved as it could be the first death of many programs to bring disastrous effects. If there is no FEMA or similar program, then what will happen when the next Hurricane Helene or Katrina hits? Or the next wildfire, exacerbated by global warming and the shifting of climates, decimates thousands of acres of land as it did in Gatlinburg?

Standard reporter Nikki Childers can be contacted at nchilders@southernstandard.com