| As I said, they volunteer in their communities and contribute to their favorite charities, so they may very well hold the hand of the dying or otherwise ease current suffering. On the other hand, however important responding to the suffering around us may be, supporting policies which will help to improve the lot of most people in the long run is no small thing. Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell made greater contributions to human welfare than someone with a free clinic, however admirable that person may be. Churchill, by rallying his countrymen to withstand the Nazis, did more for the future of mankind than Mother Teresa, a woman I truly admire. DW Griffith, by showing the potential of the cinematic medium, did more for the improvement of human life than someone who runs a hospice, although that person is worthy of praise. If we take the contribution, rather than the sentiment, the great humanitarians are those who contributed the most to material, political, and cultural progress. |
