Seeing the suffering of people around the globe really makes me wish that fortunate children would realize how lucky they are and acknowledge that those fortunes come with the responsibility of assisting the less fortunate. The reason I choose to express my feelings about this prompt is because of my experience with my little cousin who was born in America and the recent natural disaster in Haiti. Coming from half-way across the globe to the US, I have the opportunity to witness some unbearable, cruel, and inhuman situations in my country. Although most people would want to avoid seeing those difficult circumstances, I value those experiences because I believe they help to shape me into a charitable, generous, and understanding person (some people might disagree from viewing just the outside of me). I think that understanding how other people suffer helps people grow intellectually and spiritually because it teaches them what the other majority lives like. I have witnessed some unfortunate events, such as children with only one parent, younger than 10 years old, running across the street to sell lottery tickets in the burning bright sunlight without a hat or any type of head-covering. Even more devastating, I have seen adults stealing, deliberately and violently, the lottery tickets from them. After being robbed, many of these children will not even dare to go home for the night because they speculate, and justifiably so, that they will be badly physically abused by their parents for losing the tickets. I also have seen events of poverty, hunger, disaster victims, illegal drug addicts, illiterates, dying patients, and much more.

Seeing as much as I have has really opened my eyes to the truth of what the different classes of society are like. However, I honestly do not think that I have seen the absolute worst yet. Nonetheless, my past experiences should be enough to persuade me to appreciate what I have and eliminate unreasonable desires. They also made me think that it is my responsibility, as well as others’ responsibility, to sustain life by assisting desperate people. I truly think that everyone deserves the necessary resources to live. However, I completely disagree with the idea of giving away assistance to those who have the ability to obtain the resources themselves but choose not to because of indolence. I do not think that children in the wealthier areas and countries understand what it feels like to live a life without luxury or even some basic needs. They take advantage of their and their parents’ possessions to an extent that is unimaginable. For instance, even though she has not done anything majorly wrong, I still consider my little cousin to be unappreciative and ill-mannered. She is spoiled by living a life where all basic needs and luxurious wants are provided to her unconditionally. Yes, I do acknowledge that her parents should buy her necessary materials and occasional luxury items. However, to buy jeans every time a new fashion style is introduced has ruined her perception of the real nature of life. I wish that she would once observe one of the experiences that I witnessed so that she could understand what others are suffering through and start appreciating just what she has. Therefore, I believe firmly that love should be provided with careful considerations to not blind one’s perception of truth and prevent the darkening and eventual abolition of human integrity, generosity, and responsibility.