Letter: Love others by showing it

This time of the year, we again are reminded by our ministers, the newspaper and our many charities to be more generous.

I think we all understand that our economy favors our rich and well-educated. We also recognize and know that the engine of our economy is our corporations who are continuing to grow larger and more profitable while increasing their executive compensation and off-shoring of jobs. We retirees also remember that in our times most corporations cared for their employees far more than today.

Looking at corporations with major business in the Lowcountry, I don’t see most of our non-local, large hospitality and service corporations agreeing to implement a “living wage” policy for employees, or our local politicians considering a minimum wage. Admittedly, prices might increase or profits decrease. The increasing practice of part-time jobs, which enables them to avoid providing benefits, also calls for a more compassionate answer for single parent employees with kids.

Do we really want our country to continue to lead the Western world in poverty and struggling families with little or no hope and the accompanying neighborhood segregation?

This season tells us to love others, which includes people we seldom or never meet and requires our own action as well as their hope. We as individuals need to find increasing ways of meeting and understanding these people in or nearby our local neighborhoods. We also need to make our voices heard by the corporations and our local businesses who serve us but who fail to treat their employees with sufficient generosity.

In the spirit of this season, let’s also thank our businesses who are responsive and their employees who serve us so well.

This story was originally published November 28, 2016 at 11:19 PM with the headline "Letter: Love others by showing it."